11 October 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
U Class Sub HM USK
USK spent most of her short career operating in the Mediterranean. She sailed from Malta to patrol off the NW coast of Sicily on 19 April 1941. USK was later ordered to alter her position due to intense ASW activity. What happened subsequently is not known but she was most likely mined in the vicinity of Cape Bon some time after 25 April 1941. She was reported overdue on 3 May 1941
Losses
MV BRANDANGER (Nor 4624 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 30 (6 dead and 24 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo Route: Portland - San Pedro - Cristobal - Bermuda - Liverpool Convoy HX 77; Sunk in the Western Approaches. The BRANDANGER was struck in the engine room on the port side by a torpedo from U-48. The engine stopped and the lights went out, the entire midships section was destroyed and the lifeboats on the port side were blown away. The crew launched some lifeboats with difficulty.
BRANDANGER sank about 20 minutes after being hit. Survivors were picked up early the next morning by the corvette HMS CLARKIA, as were the 14 in the 2nd mate's boat, and landed in Liverpool on Oct. 15. Other survivors had set course for Ireland, but were rescued in the afternoon of the 16th by S/S CLAN MACDONALD and landed in Liverpool on the 19th.
MV PORT GISBORNE (UK 8390 grt) Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 64 (26 dead and 38 survivors) Cargo: Refrigerated and general cargo, including 2479 bales of wool and 20 bales of sheepskin Route: Auckland - Halifax - Belfast - Cardiff . Convoy HX 77; Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2209 hrs the PORT GISBORNE
in convoy HX-77 was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 about 113 miles WSW of Rockall. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats, but one of them capsized in gale force conditions and the occupants drowned. The abandoned wreck sank later in 57°02N/17°24W. The master, 36 crew members and one gunner were rescued: The survivors in one boat were picked up on 22 October by HMS SALVONIA and the remaining survivors in another boat on 24 October by the British steam merchant ALPERA and landed at Greenock. The master Thomas Kippins was awarded the OBE and the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.
DKM TBs FALKE, GREIF, KONDOR, SEEADLER and WOLF departed Cherbourg for another sortie to the area off the Isle of Wight in retaliation to the RN sortie against Cherbourg. Late on the 11th, in an engagement with
ASW trawler WARWICK DEEPING (RN 445 grt) and
armed trawler LISTRAC (FNFL 778 grt), , TB GREIF sank LISTRAC with a torpedo, and TBs KONDOR and FALKE sank WARWICK DEEPING with gunfire. Kirkup and eleven ratings were lost on the LISTRAC; A/S/Lt R. J. Pickford RCNVR and twenty four ratings were wounded. No crew were lost in WARWICK DEEPING.
HMT WARWICK DEEPING; NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE LISTRAC
At 0007 on the 12th, the German force contacted and sank French submarine chasers CH.6 (Lt W. B. G. Galbraith, RN) and CH.7 (S/Lt G. A. Gabbett-Mulhallen DSC, RN). The survivors of these ships were picked up by German torpedo boat GREIF. Galbraith, Temporary Acting S/Lt D. B. Walton RNVR and seven ratings were lost on the CH.6; twelve crew were taken prisoner. Gabbett-Mulhallen and eleven ratings were killed on CH.7; Acting Lt R. V. Musman RNVR and eight ratings were taken prisoner from CH.7.
DDs JACKAL, JAGUAR, JUPITER, KELVIN, KIPLING came out from Plymouth and two DDs departed Portsmouth. At 0314 on the 12th, DD JACKAL engaged two of the German ships at 280°, 27 miles from 50N, 1W . Neither side was damaged and the German ships arrived back at Cherbourg mid-morning on the 12th.
UBOATS
At Sea 11 October 1940
U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea
OPERATIONS
North Sea
FN.306 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 13th.
FS.306 departed Methil, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.
Northern Waters
DD ZULU, was badly damaged by an acoustic mine in the Firth of Forth. The mine exploded 40 feet off the starboard side abaft of the bridge. There were no casualties. Many minor leaks, machinery defects and distortion of the bulkheads were caused by the explosion. ZULU was under repair at at Rosyth, for 13 weeks, completing her repairs 18 January 1941. DD BEDOUIN was also damaged when she struck a submerged object (probably a mine), and was repaired at Southampton completing on 17 November. British minefield BS.40 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs IMPULSIVE and ICARUS.
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa to join convoy HX.76 A. The LW soon arrived and attacked the convoy off Peterhead. Gunfire from the escorts and the merchantmen in the convoy drove off the attack. ALYNBANK sustained minor damage from near misses, and repaired at Rosyth completing on the 20th.
DDs MATABELE and PUNJABI departed Scapa escorting RFA tkr MONTENOL to Skaalefjord before proceeding to operation DH. At 1330, a German submarine was reported by a/c 5 miles nth of this force, 16 miles 020° from Sule Skerry. PUNJABI investigated the contact without locating the UBoat, and then rejoined MATABELE and the tkr. CVL FURIOUS, exercising west of Hoy, detached her screen of DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO and DUNCAN to investigate the UBoat report. The DDs made no contact and the ships returned to Scapa next morning on the 12th.
West Coast UK
CVE ARGUS departed Greenock with DD ACHATES for Iceland, arrived on the 17th and departed to return on the 20th. They arrived back at Greenock on the 25th. ACHATES was damaged by weather on the voyage and was repaired at Greenock. DD VERSATILE departed Londonderry for refitting in the Tyne. DD FEARLESS departed the Clyde after completion of her refit, and then proceeded to Rosyth for Home Flt ops in DesFlot 4. In LW air attacks on Liverpool, steamers CLAN MACTAGGART, CLAN CUMMING , HIGHLAND CHIEFTAN and tkr VIRGILIA were all damaged.
Steamer BANNTHORN was damaged by the LW in Rathlin O'Birne Sound, Eire.
Western Approaches
SW Approaches
OG.44 with 36 ships departed Liverpool, Milford Haven, Glasgow escorted by RCN DD SKEENA and corvette GLADIOLUS from 11 to 14 October. SKEENA and GLADIOLUS were detached to assist damaged AMC CHESHIRE. Sloop WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from 11 to 24 October. DD WRESTLER escorted the convoy from 22 to 24 October, which arrived at Gib on the 24th.
Channel
Steamer THYRA II was damaged by the LW in the Thames Estuary.
Armed yacht AISHA (RN 117 grt) was lost in mining in the Thames Estuary. Steamer INVER was damaged by German shore guns in the Straits of Dover.
Med- Biscay
At 0915, during continuing Med Flt ops for the Malta re-supply op, DD DECOY was detached to Malta to refuel and DD MOHAWK joined. At 0942, DD IMPERIAL was also detached to refuel. IMPERIAL was mined at 1105 on the 11th and badly damaged 15 miles sth of Delimara near Malta. One rating was killed in the explosion. She was towed to Malta by DECOY, and IMPERIAL was repaired at Malta, sailing after completion on 28 April 1941. RAN DD VAMPIRE was detached at 1410 to refuel at Malta. Convoy MF 3 and CL ORION arrived at Malta at 1600. RAN DDs VENDETTA and STUART arrived with the convoy to start refitting in the Malta dockyard. At 1800, DD NUBIAN, HERO and HAVOCK rejoined the Main Fleet and DDs DAINTY, DEFENDER, DIAMOND were detached to refuel.
An It civilian a/c reported the Med Flt 100 miles SE of Malta. In anticipation that these warships would pick up some merchant ships recently arrived at Malta, RM DDs ARTIGLIERE, CAMICIA NERA, AVIERE and GENIERE with TBs AIRONE, ALCIONE and ARIEL were patrolling an area east of Malta. Four MAS boats were to the nth of the RM DDs. One DD div and MAS boats were stationed to the west of Malta should the British force set out for Gibraltar.
Gunboat APHIS (after refitting), steamer VOLO and Fleet auxiliary PLUMLEAF departed Malta at 2245 on the 11th, escorted by CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA and DDs WRYNECK and RAN WATERHEN. Late on the 11th, the Mediterranean Fleet began its return to Alexandria.
Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Sloop AUCKLAND in convoy BS.6 was attacked by RA bombers west of Kamaran. Convoy BS.6 A departed Port Sudan, escort by RAN sloop PARRAMATTA. DD KINGSTON joined on the 13th. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 15th.
Malta
RN Opn MB6. IMPERIAL was mined en route but reached harbour and was docked. . RAN STUART and VENDETTA remained for refit. 0600-0735 hrs Swordfish 830 Sqn (FAA) dropped photographs of shipping in Taranto, Tripoli and Brindisi harbours on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. Four Swordfish 830 Sqn provided local patrol for the arrival of a convoy at Malta; nothing to report. The opn of bringing in the incoming convoy and despatching the outgoing convoy is reported as proceeding satisfactorily.
0355-1038 hrs Recon by Sunderland 230 Sqn reported at 0508 hrs having sighted two DDs, one of which was on fire and stationary. He interrupted patrol to shadow the two ships while Swordfish were despatched to attack them. Another DD VICENZO GIOBERTI class was observed proceeding at high speed. On his return the pilot reported three FIUME class cruisers and three DDs accompanied by twelve fighters. 0500-0919 hrs Glenn Martin 431 Flight on recon signalled three DDs at sea. In Taranto he reported a large fleet of naval ships and in Brindisi naval ships and seaplanes.