This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[Njaco]

March 4 Tuesday

INDIAN OCEAN: An Australian Walrus seaplane of HMAS "Canberra" spotted German ship "Coburg" and captured Norwegian tanker "Ketty Brøvig", which was being used to supply German armed merchant cruisers. At the request of HMAS "Canberra" who was standing by the tanker, HMS "Leander" approached the two boats and embarked five Norwegian officer survivors of the tanker, "Ketty Brovig", and 15 German officers and 33 men prisoners from the merchant vessel "Coburg". The boats were then sunk, while HMS "Leander's" boats examined the floating wreckage for anything of value; nothing was found. HMAS "Canberra" decided that the scuttling of the tanker "Ketty Brovig" had effectively rendered salvage impossible, and at 1940 hours she fired a few rounds in to the floating fore part, and left the ship in a sinking condition. HMS "Leander" and HMAS "Canberra" then proceeded to Port Louis, Mauritius.

GERMANY: Prince Paul, Regent of Yugoslavia, arrived in Berchtesgaden in Germany where Hitler applied further pressure for Yugoslavia to join Tripartite Pact. Paul set his conditions for Yugoslavia to join the Axis, including that Salonika be ceded to Yugoslavia after the war. He tells Hitler that Yugoslavia would sign on to the Tripartite Pact, provided that Yugoslavia was not asked to fight and German troops would not expect transit through Yugoslavia. Hitler agreed to all conditions except that the terms of the agreement be published. Hitler offered to cede part of Macedonia to Yugoslavia in return for allowing German troops to transit into Greece. The terms are agreed to.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Lustre: Beginning today, a series of convoys moved from Alexandria to Piraeus at regular 3-day intervals, escorted by warships of the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy in response to the failed Italian invasion and the looming threat of German intervention. The movements were codenamed Operation Lustre. Four British freighters departed Alexandria and Port Said today, Egypt with men and equipment - including the 6th Australian Division, the 2nd New Zealand Division, and a Polish brigade - escorted by destroyers HMS "Hereward" and HMS "Stuart", for Greece. A total of 56,657 men would be sent to Greece as a counter to German moves and take up position west of the Vardar River.

Indian 7th Infantry Brigade moves into position north of Keren. 7th Indian Infantry Brigade moved forward to the Cogai Pass area. Reconnaissance of the area south of Mescelit Pass was started. Keren was only a few miles to the south and the sound of the guns could be heard, but between the two positions lay a range of formidable hills covering the pass south of Mendad. The main Italian position extended from the upper slopes of Mt. Ab Aaures on the east through Mt. Cubub, across the Anseba to Mt. Bab Harmas and Mt. Laal Amba. Artillery had been located near the Anseba and the valley was heavily mined. During the night, a troop of 51 Commando fought a very successful engagement while patrolling to the northwest of Pt. 1702 and Pt. 1710. It ran into an Italian post, protected by a single apron barbed wire fence, charged it in the face of heavy fire and captured it without loss. One Italian Officer and five other ranks were killed. The Allied patrol, forty-four strong, held the post until morning.

MEDITERRANEAN: General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson arrived in Athens, Greece to take command of all Allied ground forces. He discovered the Greek troops were still manning the Metaxas Line on the Bulgarian-Greek border rather than the agreed upon Aliakmon Line. From the sea, Italian warships bombarded Greek coastal positions in Albania.

Following failure of landing on Castelrosso Island, Allies cancel planned attack on Rhodes.

UNITED KINGDOM: Richard O'Connor was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

Luftwaffe attacks Cardiff overnight with 61 aircraft.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Operation Claymore: British landing ships HMS "Queen Emma" and HMS "Princess Beatrix", escorted by five destroyers, landed 500 British Commandos, Royal Engineers, and Free Norwegian troops at four ports in the Loftoten Islands, off Narvik, Norway at dawn. Operation Claymore, the first large scale commando raid of the war, saw the destruction of fish oil factories (along with 3,600 tons of fish oil, used for high explosives) and nine merchant ships. An unexpected bonus was the discovery of coding rotors for the Enigma cryptographic system found aboard German trawler "Krebs". The raiders withdrew without a single casualty along with 228 German captives.

EASTERN EUROPE: Bulgaria severs diplomatic relations with Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland.

WESTERN FRONT: 18 Geuzen resistance fighters were sentenced to death in The Hague.

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[parsifal]

05 March 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS LUDLOW (DD438)

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS AURICULA (K-12)

HMS AURICULA seen after she had hit a mine off Madagascar.
AURICULA was based in Liverpool and spent most of 1941 in escort work across the Atlantic. She was fitted with RDF in Londonderry and transferred to Freetown later in the year and patrolled the West Coast of Africa. She was moved again to Lagos, where many of the crew got malaria, and sailed for Cape Town calling in on Walvis Bay. She arrived at the Cape on Good Friday 1942 and proceeded on to Durban, the assembly port for part of the fleet carrying troops for the invasion of Madagascar. Early in the operation she hit a mine and sank the next day. Casualties were mostly head and leg injuries and the injured were transferred to the SS BATORY, the Polish trans Atlantic liner that was acting as hospital ship. The injured were then transferred to the SS ATLANTIS, a Greek passenger vessel, that took them to Durban.

Fairmile B MLs 206, 212
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Tug SILVERSTONE (UK 58 grt) was sunk on a mine three miles above Rochester Bridge, Medway. SILVERSTONE was towing barges ROCKSTONE (UK 96 grt), SANDSTONE (UK 96 grt), which were also lost, as well as STONECURB and CESTONE, which were not lost. The entire crew on the tug were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.95 sank steamer MURJEK (SD 5070 grt) in the Nth Atlantic sth of Iceland. There were no survivors from the crew of 31. She was carrying cotton from Lagos to Goteburg. At 0525 hrs on 5 March 1941 the unescorted and neutral MURJEK (however she was in a declared area) was hit by one torpedo from U-95 WNW of Rockall. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 0506 hrs and sank only after four additional hits had been inflicted on her at 0533, 0551, 0625 (dud) and 0655 hrs. Schreiber reported that the ship was en route with lights set, but no nationality markings were visible and he thought of an Allied ship using its lights as a ruse, even after intercepting radio messages that identified the ship as Swedish MURJEK. By this time, being a neutral warship did not amount to much of a defence.

Sperrbrecher STOLZENFELS (DKM 7512 grt) was sunk by on a mine. Whilst operating as a mine clearance ship she was designated Sperrbrecher XII. Some German sources (but not all, calim she was sunk by a torpedo launched by an aircraft, or a mine on the 23 0r 24 March.


After reports of shipping at sea, Submarines UPRIGHT and UTMOST departed Malta for patrol on the Tripoli convoy routes. Submarine TRUANT departed for a coastal patrol in the Gulf of Sirte. Submarine TRIUMPH sank the following cargo ships:

steamer MARZAMEMI (FI 958 grt) off Calabria

Steamer COLOMBO LO FARO (897grt) also off Calabria.

Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN captured trawler BIJOU BIHON (Vichy 112 grt) west of Gibraltar where she was taken.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Bergen: U-74

At Sea 05 March 1941
U-37, U-47, U-70, U-74, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA
14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DKM TBs ILTIS and JAGUAR laid minefield AUGBURG off Eastbourne. p>

Northern Waters
DD LIDDESDALE arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth to work up l> p>

West Coast
BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, AMC ALCANTARA. With steamer STRATHMORE departed the Clyde for Gibraltar, escort DDs OTTAWA, ASSINIBOINE, VANSITTART, and CHURCHILL. The carrier was carrying aircraft to Takoradi to be delivered on the 22nd in operation SUMMER. The carrier, CL DRAGON, and DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND departed Freetown on the 18th.

FURIOUS arrived on schedule at Takoradi on the 22nd, escorted by CL DRAGON, which landed passengers and to refuel the DDs. DRAGON then proceeded to Lagos to refuel herself. The carrier and the destroyers arrived back at Freetown on the 25th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy EN.81 off Aberdeen. The ship remained with the convoy until midnight. The ship returned to Scapa Flow after sunrise on the 6th.

Convoy OB.294 departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER, WITCH, MONTGOMERY, and VIVIEN and corvettes NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE. When the convoy was dispersed on the 9th, the escorts proceeded to join convoy SL.66.

Med/Biscay
Convoy ANF.17 of six British and two other ships departed Alexandria escorted by destroyers ILEX, HERO, and HASTY. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy at noon on the 6th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 8th with DD HERO. CLA CALCUTTA and DDs ILEX and HASTY had left the convoy to arrive at Suda Bay during the morning of 8 March.

An Italian convoy of steamers CASTELLON, RUHR, and MARITZA departed Tripoli escort RM AMC RAMB III and TBs ORIONE and PEGASO. The convoy arrived at Naples on the 7th.

Nth Atlantic
HX.113 departed Halifax, escort AMC ALANIA and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. BHX.113 departed Bermuda on the 3rd escort AMC PRINCE DAVID. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.113 on the 8th and the ALANA was detached.

BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN joined on the 15th and the AMC was detached on the 16th. The BB was detached on the 16th. On 17 March, DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, SABRE, VENOMOUS, and WOOLSTON, corvette SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawler WELLARD joined the escort. WELLARD was detached on the 19th and the escort, less the two corvettes which had departed at the start, on the 20th. The two corvettes were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 21st.

Central Atlantic
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Freetown with convoy WS.6B.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CV FORMIDABLE, escort DDs JUNO and GRIFFIN, departed Port Sudan for Suez.

Lt D. M. Cheeke DSC, Lt (A) R. S. Illingworth, and Leading Airman G. Mitchell of 700 Squadron from heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE were killed when their Walrus crashed into a hillside at Port Victoria in the Seychilles.

BN.18 departed Aden, escort RAN sloop YARRA. DD KINGSTON joined for escort during 8 March. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 11th.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 5 Wednesday

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Lustre: British reinforcements from North Africa arrived in Greece. On the same day, the British government broke off diplomatic relations with Bulgaria in response to their alliance with Germany. Italian S.79s bombers from Rhodes attacked convoy AN.17 (Alexandria to Piraeus) of 20 ships escorted by 4 cruisers and 2 destroyers with a single S.79 narrowly missing AA cruiser "Coventry" at 1710 hrs.

British submarine HMS "Triumph" sank Italian ships "Marzamemi" and "Colombo Lo Faro" 20 miles east of Catania, Sicily, Italy.

Italian soldiers captured by Greeks in Albania report that 1,500 Alpini troops have recently been drowned when transport "Liguria" was torpedoed and that Allied bombing raids have caused heavy casualties and great confusion behind Italian lines.

EASTERN EUROPE: Hermann Göring met with General Antonescu in Vienna, Austria, demanding Romanian participation in the upcoming German invasion of the Soviet Union. A referendum on the policies of Ion Antonescu was held in Romania. The vote was recorded as 99.9% in favour.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-95 sank Swedish ship "Murjek", which had been broadcasting its neutral status continuously, with 5 torpedoes 200 miles south of Iceland at 0525 hours. The entire crew of 31 was killed.

GERMANY: Hitler issues Fuehrer Directive No. 24 regarding cooperation with Japan against the Allies. Adolf Hitler issued the order to the German Foreign Ministry to try to draw Japan into the war by attacking British possessions in Asia, but it was still important to keep the United States out of the war at this point.
http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/24.html

NORTH AFRICA: The 51 Commando patrol, forty-four strong, was holding a post northwest of Pt. 1702 and Pt. 1710, near Keren when it was counter-attacked by a force of one hundred and thirty men with heavy mortar and machine-gun fire support. As it was running out of ammunition, the patrol withdrew, after inflicting about forty casualties on the Italians. The 11th Indian Infantry Brigade remained in the line for about ten days.

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[parsifal]

6 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-560

Used exclusively as a school boat for most of the war. The U-Boat arm was undergoing a massive expansion at this time, but in order to do this, it was first necessary to build up the training capabilities of the KTB BDU.

Allied
HDML 1018, ML 150
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Losses
MSW trawler KERYADO (RN 252 grt) was sunk on a mine eight miles south of Newhaven. 9 ratings were lost on the trawler.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Barge QUEEN WASP (UK 196 grt) and echo sounding boat MOUSE (RN 20 grt(est)) were lost in Falmouth Inner Harbour while attempting to recover a mine. P/T/Sub Lt R. B. Sutherland RNVR, and five ratings from VERNON were killed in the explosion. Four men were wounded.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Tug SUN VII (UK 202 grt) was sunk on a mine 1-2 miles 60° from North Knob Buoy, Barrow Deep. Five crew were lost.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Tkr MEXICO (Nor 3017 grt) was sunk on a mine in 51-53N, 1-37E. 10 crew were lost and 23 were rescued.

Sirena Class Submarine ANFITRITE (RM 617 grt) was sunk by DCs and gunfire at 0715 by DD GREYHOUND in Kaso Strait, off Crete in 34-55N, 23-45E. The subs CO and 38 crew were rescued and taken prisoner. GREYHOUND was escorting convoy AS.16 with DD HAVOCK at this time.

UBOATS
At Sea 6 March 1941
U-37, U-47, U-70, U-74, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DKM MLs BRUMMER, COBRA, and KONIGIN LUISE, escorted by the NSWFlot 5 laid mines forty five miles east of the Outer Skerries (east of the Shetlands) in minefield WOLLEN during the night of 6/7 March.

Northern Waters
DD ACTIVE arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to join the Home Flt

West Coast
British steamer EILIAN HILL was damaged on a mine off Nell's Point, Barry Island (located on the northern side of the Bristol Channel).

Med/Biscay
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, HOTSPUR and RAN DDs VOYAGER and WATERHEN departed Alexandria to carry out gunnery exercises. The force, designated Force A, then proceed to the west of Crete to operate from Suda Bay in support of the LUSTRE operations.

Troops were embarked on CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER which sailed at noon as convoy AG.1.

British steamers CLAN MACAULEY and CINGALESE PRINCE, loaded with tanks, departed Alexandria as convoy AG.2, escort DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, and WRYNECK, for Piraeus.

Convoy AG.1 arrived at Piraeus on the 7th and the troops and cargo were disembarked. Convoy AG.2 arrived at Piraeus on the 8th and the cargo was safely disembarked.

The cruisers of AG.1 departed Piraeus the same day and returned as convoy GA.1, arriving at Alexandria on the 8th. Convoy AG.2 arrived at Piraeus on the 8th.

Convoys AN.17 and AS.16 were attacked by RA High level bombers south of the Kaso Straits. No damage was done, but the DDs used from thirty to fifty per cent of their ammunition repelling the attacks.

CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH arrived at Alexandria from the Aegean.

Corvette SALVIA departed Tobruk to return with defects to Alexandria.

Central Atlantic
BC RENOWN with DDs FORTUNE, DUNCAN, and VELOX departed Gibraltar to conduct exercises. They were joined at sea by DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, and FOXHOUND. The ships returned to t Gibraltar on the 7th.

Malta

 

[Bernhart]

in pics of the commandos 1607 wonder what the civilian is doing amongst the soldiers?

 

[Njaco]

March 6 Thursday

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Lustre : British cruisers HMS "York", HMS "Bonaventure" and HMS "Gloucester" leave Alexandria, Egypt, carrying troops to Piraeus, Greece (arriving March 7). Separately, freighters "Clan Macauley" and "Cingalese" leave Alexandria carrying tanks and equipment, escorted by destroyers HMS "Nubian", HMS "Mohaw" and HMS "Wryneck Prince" (arriving Piraeus March 8). This pattern of troops on fast warships and freight carried by escorted steamers will be repeated every 3 days. Italian submarines "Ondina", "Beilul", "Galatea", "Malachite", "Smeraldo", "Nereide", "Ascianghi", "Ambra", "Dagabur" and "Onice" will patrol the convoy routes around Crete with little success against the convoys. Convoys AN.17 and AS.16 (AS-16 was an empty convoy returning from Greece to Egypt) were attacked by Italian bombing south of the Kaso Straits. No damage was done, but the destroyers used from thirty to fifty per cent of their ammunition repelling the attacks. Nine S.79s and ten S.81s of 39 Stormo bombed the convoy AN-17 of 20 ships escorted by 4 cruisers and 2 destroyers southeast of Kaso Straits. All were driven off by AA fire. Six aircraft were damaged by AA, one was forced to ditch on the sea, crew rescued next day. Destroyer HMAS "Stuart", was attacked seven times by German bombers while on passage to Piraeus. In the last attack she was near-missed by a large bomb. Capt. H. Waller wrote:

"The last aircraft seemed to be out for my blood and nursed his second bomb until I remained on a steady course. The bombs being so large, however, they could be followed all the way down and the requisite alteration could be made".

At 0715 hours, the empty convoy returning from Greece to Egypt was attacked by Italian submarine "Anfitrite" east of Crete. "Anfitrite" was counterattacked by RN destroyer "Greyhound" and forced to the surface and was scuttled by her own crew. Meanwhile an Italian convoy of four vessels reaches Tripoli from Naples without loss.

Greeks launch successful counter-attacks in central sector of Albanian front, capturing several vital mountain crags and taking 1,000 Italian prisoners. RAF and Greek aircraft fly in close support.

Greek Epirus Army and Western Macedonia Army are reorganized and ordered to prepare contingency plans for withdrawal from Albania in the event of German invasion via Bulgaria.

German aircraft began dropping acoustic magnetic mines in the Suez canal, further impeding the flow of British supplies to Greece and North Africa. The initial mine-laying operation had the immediate effect of blocking the vital waterway for three weeks while the waters were cleared.

EASTERN EUROPE: New German laws decreed that Polish farm workers were not to complain, were denied from any cultural events, and were forbidden to have sexual intercourse.

GERMANY: Battleship "Bismarck" departed Hamburg, Germany. "Bismarck" was now able to pass through the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal and left the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Hamburg and sailed towards the Baltic.

ASIA: Western Hupei operation: The Western Hubei Operation was one of the engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Three Infantry, one Cavalry and an artillery Regiment of the 13th Division crossed to the south bank of the Yangtze River near Ichang to attack the Chinese positions there. 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army attacked from their bridgehead on the western bank of Yangtze River, breaking through Chinese positions around Tanchiataitze, Chaochientien, and Fanchiahu.

"Tatsuta Maru" departed Yokohama, Japan with new skipper Captain Toichi Takahata.

NORTH AFRICA: Ethiopia's Patriots led by Haile Selassie captured Bure.

UNITED KINGDOM: Winston Churchill issued the Battle of the Atlantic directive, creating a committee to oversee the logistics of that theatre. He gave the highest priority to measures for knocking out German U-Boats and bombers blocking shipments to Britain.

NORTH AMERICA: The United States ordered the Italian consulates in Detroit and Newark closed in retaliation for the closings of February 15.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Kriegsmarine minelaying operations off the Shetland Islands results in the sinking of British vessel "Sun VII" and RN minesweeping trawler "Keryado".

WESTERN FRONT: In Occupied Holland following strikes during February over the arrest of Jews and attempts to send workers to jobs in Germany, the Germans condemn 18 Dutch resistance members. These are the first such victims in Holland. The Communists have played a notable part in organizing the strikes.

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[parsifal]

7 MARCH 1941 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS WALLFLOWER (K-44)

Losses
MTB.28 (RN 49 grt) was lost by fire at Portsmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Battle For Convoy OB 293 – The Happy Time comes to an end

On 6 March 1941 OB 293 y was sighted by Prien's U-47 , who followed DKM procedure and radioed his find to U-boat Headquarters.. After sending this sighting report he set to shadowing the convoy, sending in regular updates as to its course sped and position. Through the day he was joined by three other boats; U-99, U-70 and UA. These were all veteran crews and hopes were high of yet another successful attack.

This was the first time that the uboats were pitted against an escort force that had been through the intensive ASW training courses that Western Approaches Command had set up at the instigation of some of its officers like Donald McIntyre. The British still had a lot to learn but the better training was to help a great deal in the forthcoming battle.

On the night of the 6/7 March the pack launched its attack. In the early hours of 7 March U-99 slipped into the convoy from ahead, to attack on the surface; she torpedoed the tanker ATHELBEACH, sinking her, U-99 also hit the the whale factory ship TERJE VIKEN, which was damaged and sank six days later. U-70 hit a freighter DUNAFF HEAD, which sank, and a Dutch tanker, MIJDRECHT. She was only damaged, however, rounding on U-70 and attempting to ram; U-70 was forced to crash-dive to escape. UA is believed to have hit another freighter without sinking her.

The response of the escorts was swift, and persistent. They harried the attackers mercilessly, and worked together as two teams, each ship having its ASDIC blind spots covered as successive sweeps were made and DC patterns dropped. The U-boats were subjected to a fierce bombardment as the warships chased down contacts; over 100 DCs were expended over a 5-hour period. UA was attacked by HMS WOLVERINE (it is now believed) but was able to escape; U-99 managed to escape by diving so deep the DCs were unable to be set to a depth able to reach her. Kretschmer greatly exceeded the safe diving limits of his boats to do this. He was forced to wait out the attack by which time the convoy had moved on. U-70 was damaged in the onslaught (her loss is partly due to the DC attacks by the two corvettes in the battle) and forced to the surface, where she was fired on and sunk by the corvettes CAMELLIA and ARBUTUS.

The precise fate of the U-47 is not known. She is believed to have avoided damage and was able to stay in contact with the convoy, sending further reports and requesting reinforcements. He had also been able to torpedo TERJE VIKEN, which was straggling after being damaged, though she still remained afloat. Prien was not a man who gave up easily. The escorts attempted to bring her to port, but she finally sank on the 14th; her loss was credited to both U-99 and U-47.

Meanwhile, on the night of 7th/8th, at about 1am on the 8th, WOLVERINE's Log states that she spotted a U-boat on the surface which she identified as U-47.. She and VERITY attacked, and after 4 hours, which had shown evidence of damage, the U-boat was driven to the surface within yards of WOLVERINE, before diving again. The DD sent down a pattern of DCs and was rewarded with an underwater explosion, marked by an orange glow, and flames that broke the surface. This attack is still believed to have been the UA, which somehow survived this attack.

WOLVERINEwas credited with destroying U-47, and this featured in the official record until the late 1990s. However, after reviewing the available records modern historians regard this attack as being directed against UA, which undamaged, and survived to reach port. WOLVERINEs reports of explosions and light flashes underwater remain unexplained. My take on this was that it was the U-47, but the explosions and orange flashes had nothing to do with WOLVERINE's attacks. What the WOLVERINE saw was the destruction of U-47, but it was not of their direct doing.

No conclusion can be reached about the fate of U-47, but she was lost on or about the 7 March whilst in action against the RN. Possible causes could be a diving accident, a mishap with her torpedoes (known at the time to sometimes detonate incorrectly) or possibly a further attack by the two Corvettes whop also recorded a further attack against an unknown contact.

The success of the defence of OB 293, with the loss of the U-boat ace Prien, coupled with the successful defence of Convoy HX-112, and the loss of two more aces, Kretschmer and Schepke, one week later, is generally regarded as the end of the Happy time and marked the first glimpses of an improving allied defence in a long battle.

U.99 torpedoed whaling vessel TERJE VIKEN (UK 20,638 grt) in 60N, 12-50W. The entire crew of the whaling vessel was rescued. The wreck of the whaling vessel was sunk by two DDs and one corvette on the 14th. She was empty and enroute to Curacao at the time of her loss. The details of the attacks made on her are that at 0505 hrs, TERJE VIKEN in convoy OB-293 was hit by two torpedoes SE of Iceland. This must have been U-47, which was thought to have gone missing soon after.

At 0550 hrs, the ship was missed by a spread of three torpedoes from U-70, but at the same time U-99 fired a torpedo that hit on the port side and the crew abandoned ship. Later a part of the crew reboarded the ship and tried to save her, but she capsized at 1855 hrs without sinking.

On 14 March, the wreck was scuttled by gunfire of a British salvage tug and two DDs. The survivors were picked up by HMS HURRICANE and landed at Greenock.

U.70 damaged British steamer DELILIAN from convoy OB-293. The steamer managed to limp back to Glasgow. U.70 damaged Dutch motor tanker MIJDRECHT. The tanker arrived in Rothesay Bay with extensive damage. The tkr was temporarily repaired at Govan. Later on the 7th U-70 attacked the OB-293 SE of Iceland, but was lost after a second attack at 0725 hours. The survivors claimed that they had hit three ships in the attack at 0445 hours and another in the second. In fact they had hit but not sunk ATHELBEACH, the DELILIAN and MIJDRECHT.

Type VIIC U-70 (DKM 769 grt) was forced to the surface after repeated attacks by corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELIA and her commanding officer and twenty four men were picked up. Twenty ratings were lost.

It was U.99 that actually sank tanker ATHELBEACH (UK 6568 grt) from OB-293. Seven crew were lost on tanker ATHELBEACH. Convoy escorts DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY and corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA made further anti-submarine attacks, forcing the U-99 to dive and run silent. ATHELBEACH was empty and enroute to New York, with 44 crew aboard. At 0640 hrs on 7 March, U-99 torpedoed the already damaged ATHELBEACH and the crew abandoned ship. At 0715 hours, the U-boat began to shell the tanker and sank her with a coup de grace 15 minutes later. The master and six crew members were lost. 37 crew members were picked up by Corvette CAMELLIA and landed at Greenock.

Type VIIB U.47 (DKM 753 grt) was lost at this time, probably to marine accident. All 48 crew were lost in the submarine.

U.37 sank steamer MENTOR (Gk 3050 grt) from dispersed convoy OB.292 in the Western Approaches. Seven crew were lost on the steamer. Empty and enroute to Takoradi, she had a crew of 29 before she was lost. At 1047 hrs the unescorted and unarmed MENTOR, dispersed from convoy OB-292 the day before, was hit by one torpedo from U-37 and sank by the bow with a still turning propeller about 270 miles SW of Iceland. Seven crew members were lost. The master and 21 crew members were picked up by a Faroese trawler in and landed at Thorshavn on 13 March.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-97

At Sea 7 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

11 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic

North Sea
The Battle Of FN426 and FS429

DKM S Boat Flot 1 with S.26, S.27, S.28, S.29, S.39, S.101, and S.102 and S Boat Flot 3 with S.31, S.57, S.59, S.60, and S.61 made a mass attack sortie against convoys FN.426 and FS.429 off Yarmouth and Cromer during the night of 7/8 March. FS.429 was escorted by DD PYTCHLEY and sloop PUFFIN. Convoy FN.426 was escorted by DDs VERSATILE, BERKELEY, and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. DDs WORCESTER and WHITSHED were dispatched to cover both convoys. Before midnight, five steamers were sunk. Additional losses were suffered in the early hours of the 8th


Steamer DOTTEREL (UK 1385 grt) was badly damaged by S.29 off Number 6 Buoy, Southwold. The steamer went ashor. There was no possibility of salvage. 8 crew were lost on the steamer. 3 crewman from the rescuing ship SHELLDRAKE were also lost trying to board the steamer. 19 crew were rescued.

Sloop SHELDRAKE was near missed by a torpedo.

Steamer KENTON (UK 1047 grt) was sunk by S.31. 4 crew were lost on the steamer.

Steamer CORDUFF (UK 2345 grt) was sunk by S.28 off Number 8 Buoy near Cromer. 14 crew were rescued, 2 taken as prisoner, and 7 lost.

Steamer BOULDERPOOL (UK 4805 grt) was sunk by S.61 off the Norfolk Coast, ten miles south of Sheringham Buoy when on a voyage from London to the Tyne in ballast, The whole crew were rescued.

(Cont'd next entry)

 

[parsifal]

7 March 1941 (Part II)
The Battle Of FN426 and FS429 (cont'd)

Steamer RYE (UK 1048 grt) was sunk by an S.27 off Cromer. The entire crew of 22 and 2 gunners were lost.

After midnight, two more ships were sunk.

Steamer TOGSTON (UK 1547 grt) was sunk by S.102, two miles 305° from Smith's Knoll. 8 crew were missing from the steamer.

Steamer NORMAN QUEEN (UK 957 grt) was sunk by S 102 off S. Haisborough Buoy, east of Cromer. 12 crew and 2 gunners were lost on the steamer. One crewman was taken as a pow.

Steamer FLASHLIGHT (UK 934 grt) was sunk by the LW in the same general area the morning of the 7th. She was on passage from Sunderland for London with a 1,150-ton cargo of coal. There is no mention of what happened to the crew in the Lyods register but local histories say they all survived..

Northern Waters
CA LONDON, escorted by DD MATABELE, arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting. DD MASHONA, which departed Hartlepool at 0035, had also been detailed to escort the cruiser LONDON, but did not make contact. This destroyer arrived at Scapa Flow later that afternoon.

CLA DIDO parted company with convoy SL.65 and arrived in the Clyde. The cruiser sustained structural damage from heavy weather during this duty. DIDO was repaired in the Clyde and departed on the 22nd for Scapa Flow. RAN DD NIZAM departed Scapa Flow for Greenock on completion of work up. The DD arrived at Greenock on the 8th

West Coast
OG.55 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs ACHATES, BOREAS, and RAMSAY, sloops EGRET and WESTON, corvettes, AZALEA, FLEUR DE LYS, HEATHER, PICOTEE, and SNOWDROP, ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE, and LADY MADELEINE. ASW Trawler KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE joined the convoy on the 7th. ACHATES and BOREAS, corvettes HEATHER and SNOWDROP, and the trawlers were detached on the 12th. On 14 March, submarine PANDORA and corvette COREOPSIS joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st with DD RAMSAY, sloop EGRET, submarine PANDORA, corvettes AZALEA, COREOPSIS, and FLEUR DE LYS, and trawler KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE

Western Approaches
Submarine PORPOISE made an unsuccessful torpedo attack against a Uboat in 57-50N, 19-50W.

Med/Biscay
CLs ORION and AJAX and RAN CL PERTH, covering convoy AG.3, departed Alexandria with 1900 troops for Piraeus arriving on the midmorning of the 8th. The cruisers were ordered to remain in the Aegean to cover other convoys.

Convoy AN.18 of two British, two Greek, and one other ship departed Alexandria and Port Said escort DD HAVOCK and corvette HYACINTH. The convoy was later joined by CLA CALCUTTA and DD ILEX. DD GREYHOUND later also joined to strengthen the convoy escort. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 11th.

Greek troop transports CORINTHIA, IONIA, HELLAS, and MARIE MAERSK departed Piraeus on the 7th as convoy GA.1 1/2, escorted by RHN DDs SPETSAI and HYDRA. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 10th.

LW bombing attacks on the Malta shipyard caused additional damage during the night of 7/8 March. British steamer ESSEX in Grand Harbour was struck by three bombs and further damaged. She did not sink however. DD IMPERIAL was slightly damaged by splinters from the air attack.

Central Atlantic
DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar just before midnight to rendezvous with BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, and troopship STRATHMORE and escort them into Gibraltar.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CL EMERALD arrived at Colombo

Malta

in pics of the commandos 1607 wonder what the civilian is doing amongst the soldiers?

My guess he is one of the 300 or so Norwegians who volunteered to join the Free Norwegian forces

 

[Njaco]

... or one of the 228 German captives.

 

[Njaco]

March 7 Friday

GERMANY: The maiden flight of the huge transport glider, the Messerschmitt Me 321 'Gigant'. Three Bf 110s initially tow the glider but after several accidents a new aircraft is developed for just such a purpose. By combining two He 111Z and adding a fifth engine, Heinkel develops the 'Zwilling' to tow the huge 'Gigant'.

Battleship "Bismarck" entered the Kiel Canal.

German Jews began to be pressed into forced labor.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-47 with her commander KL Günther Prien, the person responsible for the sinking of HMS "Royal Oak", went missing while attacking Convoy OB.293. Prien led an attack on Convoy OB.293, along with Otto Kretschemer's U-99, U-70 and the "foreign," modified Type IX boat U-A. They were viciously contested by the convoy's escort of two destroyers and two corvettes, which launched a five-hour, 100-depth-charge counterattack. British whaling factory ship "Terje Viken" (largest in the world and 4th largest merchant ship sunk in WWII) and British tanker "Athelbeach" were sunk, while two others were damaged. U-70 was forced to the surface and sunk, and the rest were driven off, except for U-47. She has generally been thought to have been sunk by the British destroyer HMS "Wolverine" west of Ireland. The submarine was attacked by "Wolverine" and HMS "Verity", which took turns covering each other's ASDIC blind spots and dropping patterns of depth charges until U-47 rose almost to the surface before sinking and then exploded with an orange flash visible from the surface. Postwar assessment showed that the boat attacked there was U-A, part of the foreign U-Boat corps. To date, there is no official record of what happened to U-47, although a variety of possibilities exist, including mines, a mechanical failure, a victim of her own torpedoes, or possibly a later attack that did not confirm any claims by the corvette team of HMS "Camellia" and HMS "Arbutus". U-47 had a crew of 45 officers and men during her last North Atlantic patrol in early 1941, all of whom were presumed to have died. The Kriegsmarine delayed announcement of Prien's death for ten weeks. Even his wife was kept in the dark until the British RAF began dropping propaganda leaflets asking "Wo ist Prien?" Coupled with the loss of U-boat aces Kretschmer (captured) and Joachim Schepke (sunk) a week later, his was a blow from which the service never really recovered. He was posthumously awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross. A statement from the Wehrmacht High Command noted, "He and his brave crew will live forever in German hearts."

German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" locate convoy SL.67 of 12 freighters 550 miles Northwest of Dakar, Senegal, and prepare to attack, but withdraw due to the presence of British battleship HMS "Malaya". Under orders not to engage British capital ships, they do not attack the convoy but instead report its position to German submarines in the area.

German submarine U-37 sank Greek ship "Mentor" in the North Atlantic.

12 German motor torpedo boats attacked British ships of convoys FN.426 and FS.429 off East Anglia, England, sinking 5 ships, damaging 1 ship, and killing 59. Sunk in the attack were British vessels 'SS Kenton' (1,047t) Poole to the Tyne) Four of her crew lost. 'SS Corduff' (2,345t) London to Hull. Seven of her crew lost. 'SS Boulderpool' (4,805t) London to the Tyne. British vessels "Dotterel" and "Rye" were also sunk. British vessel "Flashlight" (934t) cargo ship, Seaham to London with a cargo of coal was sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft east of Spurn Point.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Lustre : British troops, mostly Australian and New Zealand motorized forces, begin arriving in Greece. British cruisers HMS "York", HMS "Bonaventure", and HMS "Gloucester" arrived at Piraeus, Greece, disembarking troops from North Africa. British 1st Armored Brigade arrives at Athens as does General Freyberg.

Greek Epirus Army attacks toward Senteli Mountain west of Klisura and takes more than 1000 Italian prisoners.

The fighters of 7./JG 26 strafe St. Paul's Bay at Malta and damage a British Sunderland flying boat.

NORTH AFRICA: Field Marshal Jan Smuts arrived in Cairo, Egypt where, at an evening conference, he gave his support to Anthony Eden's firm line to commit troops to the Greek mainland.

SOUTH PACIFIC: USMC 7th Defense Battalion deploys at Pago Pago.

ASIA: Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army began pushing forward from their bridgehead on the western bank of Yangtze River and capture Wuchiapa, Hsiawulungkou, and Chienchiatai.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 8 Saturday

GERMANY: Battleship "Bismarck" exited the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal for the last time and entered Dock C of Deutsche Werke Kiel. "Bismarck" embarked supplies at Scheerhafen (Kiel), ammunition, fuel, water, two Arado 196 aircraft. Striped camouflage paint was added. The ship was now fully equipped.

Erich Raeder warned Adolf Hitler of a possible American landing in northwest Africa should the United States enter the war.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Lustre : British freighters "Clan Macauley" and "Cingalese", escorted by destroyers HMS "Nubian", HMS "Mohawk", and HMS "Wryneck Prince" arrived in Piraeus, Greece with tanks and equipment from North Africa. Australian 16th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens by sea from Egypt.

As Allied troops sail north from Egypt to Greece, the first tanks for Rommel's Afrika Korps head south from Italy to Libya. 5th Light Division's Panzer Regiment departs Naples in freighters "Alicante", "Arcturus", "Wachtfels", and "Rialto" bound for Tripoli, Libya in two convoys arriving safely on March 10 escorted by Italian destroyers "Fulmine", "Baleno" and "Turbine". Remarkably, these parallel convoys of troops and equipment are mostly unmolested by the British and Italian submarines patrolling the Western Mediterranean.

Attacks by Greek Epirus Army west of Klisura were halted. The Italian Air Force conducted heavy attacks northwest of Klisura.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-A sank British ship "Dunaff Head" of Allied convoy OB.293 150 miles south of Iceland at 0119 hours; 5 were killed and 38 survived. Destroyer HMS "Wolverine" counterattacked and damaged U-A.

Off Western Africa, German submarines U-105, U-106, and U-124 received sighting reports of Allied convoy SL-67 from surface ships "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau". They searched for the escorting battleship HMS "Malaya" in failure. Instead, U-105 sank British ship "Harmodius" at 0341 hours and U-124 sank four ships between 0547 and 0608 hours - British vessels "Nardana", "Hindpool", "Tielbank" and "Lahore". U-105 received damage from depth charges as she was counterattacked. A total of 62 British sailors were killed; 300 survivors were picked up.

German motor torpedo boats continue to attack British ships in convoys again off Cromer. 'SS Togston' (1,547t) cargo ship, Blyth to London, was sunk by an E Boat near Cromer. Eight of her crew were lost. 'SS Hindpool' (4,897t) cargo ship, Pepel to the Tees, was sunk by U-124. Twenty-seven of her crew were killed.

NORTH AMERICA: In the United States, Congress passes "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States", known as the Lend-Lease Act, authorizing the President to sell, lease, lend, transfer, or exchange war supplies to any nation deemed vital to defense of the US. Total value is US$1.3 billion. The Senate passed the Lend-Lease bill by a vote of 60-31.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Hugh Mulcahy became the first major league baseball player to be conscripted in the Selective Service draft.

UNITED KINGDOM: In London, England, Australian Prime Minister Menzies officially releases Britain from deserting naval protection of the Mediterranean to protect Australia, in the event of war in the Pacific, due to the large number of ground forces in the Middle East.

German aircraft bombed London, England overnight with 125 aircraft.

EASTERN EUROPE: The Soviet government orders 900,000 reservists called to duty between May 15 and October 20.

WESTERN FRONT: Martial law is proclaimed in Holland in order to extinguish any anti-Nazi protests.

ASIA: Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army pushes forward from bridgehead on Yangtze River as Chinese forces withdraw to the west.


.

 

[parsifal]

8 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-204

4 ships sunk, total tonnage 17,157 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,060 tons
Sunk on 19 October 1941 in the Gibraltar Straits off Tangier, by DCs from the corvette HMS MALLOW and the Sloop HMS ROCHESTER 46 dead (all hands lost).

Type M-35 MSW M-32
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
MSW DART (RN 550 grt (est)) was sunk on a mine in the Suez Canal. Two crew were killed and two were seriously wounded
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

steamer NURGIS (Nor 700 grt) was sunk by the LW seven miles NW of Lizard (in Cornwall). The entire crew was rescued.

Steamer PRINS FREDERIK HENDRIK (NL 128grt) was sunk by the LW in the Channel. Eight crew were lost on the steamer.

UA torpedoed steamer DUNAFF HEAD (UK 5258 grt) from convoy OB.293 in 60-33N, 18-50W. Five crew from a 44 man complement were lost on the steamer. The steamer was empty at the time of her loss enroute to New Brunswick. The details of this attack are that at 0119 hrs the DUNAFF HEAD in convoy OB-293 was hit by one of two torpedoes from UA and sank sth of Iceland. The master, 34 crew members and four gunners were picked up by DD VERITY and landed at Loch Ewe.

Convoy SL67
U.105 and U.124 attacked convoy SL.67 on the 8th.

U.105 sank steamer HARMODIUS (UK 5229 grt) about 100 miles west of modern day Mauretania. 11 crew was lost on the steamer. The ship was enroute from Indochina to Glasgow via some intermediate stops carrying pig iron and other cargo, with a crew of 75. At 0341 hrs the HARMODIUS in convoy SL-67 was torpedoed and sunk by U-105 NNE of the Cape Verde Islands. 13 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 59 crew members and one gunner were picked up by RN DD FAULKNOR, transferred to DD FORESTER and landed at Gibraltar on 16 March.

U.124 sank steamer NARDANA (UK 7974 grt) in the same location. Enroute from India to Britain, the ships was laden with linseed, palm kernels, pig iron and seeds. 126 people were aboard at the time of her loss. 19 crew were lost on the steamer. Between 0547 and 0608 hrs, U-124 fired six single torpedoes at the convoy SL-67 nth of the Cape Verde Islands and observed four ships going down. Schulz reported five ships with about 33.000 tons sunk and another ship damaged.In fact four ships were sunk in the attack. The NARDANA, HINDPOOL, TIELBANK, and LAHORE. The master, 104 crew members and two gunners were picked up by DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER and landed at Gibraltar on 16 March.

U.124 sank steamer HINDPOOL (UK 4897 grt) from convoy SL-67, Nth of the cape Verde islands. 28 crew were lost. The ship was fully laden with iron ore, enroute from Pepel (near Freetown) to the UK west coast. She had a complement of 40 at the time of her loss.

U.124 sank steamer TIELBANK (UK 5084 grt) from convoy SL-67, north of the cape Verde Islands about 100 miles from West African coast. Four crew were lost on the British steamer. She had a mixed cargo of ground nuts and Manganese ingots when she went down and a complement of 66.

U.124 sank steamer LAHORE (UK 5304 grt) from convoy SL-67. The entire crew of 82 were rescued from the steamer. She was enroute from Calcutta to Liverpool, with a cargo of timber, tea, pig-iron and mail. After she had been hit, she caught fire, was abandoned the next day but drifted northwards for about 40 miles before finally sinking

U.124 also claimed two more ships hit by torpedoes. DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER rescued over 300 survivors from the sunken merchant steamers. The DD arrived at Gibraltar on the 16th.

Fce H escorted convoy SL.67 until CL KENYA relieved them on the 19th for the final leg to England.

UBOATS
At Sea 8 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

11 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
DD GURKHA (ii) and MATABELE arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock (for the former) with GURKHA (ii)to work up.

West Coast
OB.295 departed Liverpool, escort corvette HELIOTROPE and ASW trawler NORTHERN DAWN. On 9 March, DDs ECHO, ELECTRA, INGLEFIELD, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and VALOROUS, corvettes ARABIS, MALLOW, and VIOLET, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, and NORTHERN WAVE joined the escort. DDs INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, and ECHO departed Scapa Flow to join convoy OB.295 on the 10th in the Western Approaches. The DDs returned to Scapa Flow on the 15th.

DD BEVERLEY, operating in the Western Approaches, broke down with her port engine inoperative. The DD was assisted by DD HARVESTER. BEVERLEY proceeded to the Tyne for repairs completed on 31 May.

Med/Biscay
AS.17 of four British ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs STUART (RAN) and HEREWARD. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 12th.

ANF.18 of five British ships departed Alexandria escort DD GREYHOUND. The convoy was joined by CLA CALCUTTA and DD ILEX. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 11th. ANF.18 with DDs ILEX, GREYHOUND, and HAVOCK slightly later. AN.18 with CLA CALCUTTA and DD ILEX arrived about 6 hours later.

BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, HOTSPUR, RAN DDs VOYAGER, and WATERHEN departed Suda Bay to cover movements of convoys through Kithera Straits. DD HOTSPUR rescued Lt R. A. Brabner and Lt J. A. Shuttleworth from a Fulmar of 806 Sqn which had force landed in Suda Bay on the 10th. The British ships arrived at SudaBay late on the 10th.

Egyptian steamer STAR OF MEX, en route to Tobruk from Alexandria with petrol, ran aground near British steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA off Ras Assaz. Corvette PEONY was sent to assist the tanker. The corvette was able to tow the tanker off successfully. Steamer STAR OF MEX was sailed to Alexandria for repairs, escorted by ASW whaler SOUTHERN ISLE..

An Axis supply convoy of steamers ALICANTE, ARCTURUS, WACHTFELS, and, escorted by RM DDs FULMINE, BALENO, and TURBINE, departed Naples for Tripoli, arriving on the 12th without event.

On 12 March, steamers ARCTURUS and WACHTEFELS and DDs LAMPO and FULMINE departed Tripoli to return to Naples, arriving on 14 February.

Central Atlantic
A/C from BB MALAYA, escorting convoy SL.67 with AMC CILICIAand corvette ASPHODEL, sighted DKM BCs GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST 350 miles nth of Cape Verde Islands. Later MALAYA herself sighted the two BCs. She attempted to close to engage, bu the German capital ships made off to the north at high speed, consistent with the German admiralty orders to not engage ships of equal or superior gun power. DD FORESTER at that time moving to reinforce the convoy also reported the warships. The Swordfish floatplane from MALAYA ran out of fuel on the 8th shadowing the German ships and its crew of Lt G. R. Brown DSC, Sub Lt R. G. Drake, andTAG R. H. George were picked up by Spanish steamer CABO DE BUERNA ESPERANZA and interned in Spain. They were eventually returned. MALAYAand DD FAULKNOR joined FORESTER and proceeded towards the German ships, but no action ensued as the German ships withdrew.

BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL ARETHUSA, and DDs VELOX and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar on the 7th towards SL.67. DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FOXHOUND met BC REPULSE and CVL FURIOUS. The BC and CVL were placed under the command of Force H

Liner STRATHMORE was detached and FEARLESS, FORTUNE, and FORESIGHT escorted her to Gibraltar, arriving on the 10th. BC REPULSE and CVL FURIOUS with DD FOXHOUND arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th. CL ARETHUSA also arrived back at Gibraltar on the 10th.

Sth Atlantic
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER at sea.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 9 Sunday

NORTH AFRICA: Minesweeping work completed in the Suez Canal in Egypt, and British Royal Navy commanders gave aircraft carrier HMS "Formidable" the go ahead to sail through from the Red Sea into the canal. She sails through from the Red Sea escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser HMS "Carlisle" and sloop HMS "Grimsby".

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German cruiser "Scharnhorst" sank Greek ship "Marathon" 250 miles north of Cape Verde Islands after taking the entire crew prisoner.

British minesweeping trawler HMT "Gulfoss" hit a mine and sank in the English Channel 3 miles south of Dungeness, Kent, England, killing 10.

MEDITERRANEAN: Primavera Offensive: The Italian Spring Offensive began in the Greco-Italian War. Benito Mussolini is desperate for success in the Albanian mountains before the impending German invasion of Greece, after stalemate during the Winter months. He announced on radio that he would personally lead the offensive against Greece, a "Primavera Offensive". On queue, 12 Italian divisions attacked the Greek lines. Following artillery and aerial bombardment, 11 infantry divisions plus 131st "Centauro" armoured Division attack through the Trebeshinë heights between the River Osum and River Vjosë. There is little subtlety to the tactical plan and much that is reminiscent of World War I. The Greek intelligence of the direction of the attack is good and their defenses well prepared. Pre-warned by the propaganda, well dug in Greek defenders repel the attack. This will continue for a week, but the Greek First Army was generally able to hold the lines.

British submarines HMS "Unique", HMS "Upholder", HMS "Upright", and HMS "Utmost" detected an Italian convoy 35 miles off the coast of Tunisia. HMS "Utmost" made an unsuccessful attack on the armed merchant cruiser "Deffenu" but was able to sink the freighter "Capo Vita".

Axis supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats "Alcione", "Pallade", "Polluce", "Clio", and "Centauro".

WESTERN FRONT: British RAF Bomber Command was ordered to mount attacks on German U-Boat bases, construction yards and industries associated with their manufacture.

Vichy France announced that authorization was now needed for Jews to sell or rent a company.

EASTERN EUROPE: Polish Jews from the city of Oswiecim (Auschwitz) began to be deported to the town of Chrzanow in southern Poland.

UNITED KINGDOM: German aircraft bombed London, England overnight with 94 aircraft, damaging Buckingham Palace and destroying the underground nightclub Café De Paris, where a bomb comes down a ventilation shaft and explodes on the dance floor (80 people killed including performer Ken 'Snakehips' Johnston who is decapitated onstage). An hour later the club would have been packed with much higher casualties. At Buckingham Palace, the first strike was from a delayed-action bomb, which went off the day after it dropped, blowing out windows in the building – including an office where, not long before, the King had been at his desk working – damaging the indoor swimming pool and causing a number of ceilings to collapse. The blitz 70 years on: Carnage at the Café de Paris

A Junkers Ju 88A-5 from 4./KG 30 (4D+FM) was shot down by fire from No 158 Light AA Battery during a sortie to Newcastle. The bomber crashed into the sea off Lowestoft. Hptmn K. Schneider (Staffelkapitn) was killed and Fw A. Ewald, Uffz K. Kirchner and Gefr K. Oetsch went missing.

NORTH AMERICA: A Japanese intelligence network was established in San Diego, California, United States to observe the transportation of war materials.

ASIA: Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army captures Kaolingpo.

.

 

[parsifal]

9 MARCH 1941
Losses
ASW trawler GULFOSS (RN 730 grt) was sunk on a mine in the English Channel. T/Sub Lt G. K. Swindells RNVR, and nine ratings were missing from the trawler. The skipper was wounded.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MARATHON (Gk 7296 grt) was sunk by DKM BC SCHARNHORST at 21N, 25W. The entire crew were taken prisoner.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-100, U-110, U-551

At Sea:
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-110, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to meet convoy WN.95 in Pentland Firth and provide AA cover. The ship after this duty transferred to convoy EN.83. On arrival in Pentland Firth on the 10th, CURACOA transferred to convoy WN.96. Off Aberdeen, the ship parted company and arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 11th.

LW airstrikes on convoys EN.83 and WN.95, managed to damage British steamer ESMOND off Buchan Ness in 57-21N, 1-38W. She sustained seven casualties. British steamer SYLVIA BEALE was damaged by the LW five miles ENE off Dungeness.

Northern Patrol
DDs MASHONA and ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow at dawn to rendezvous with AMC AUSONIA in Denmark Strait and escorted her to the Minches. After this duty, both DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow at sunset on the 11th.

Northern Waters
DDs ZULU, COSSACK and MAORI departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with the 1st ML Sqn in the Minches for escort duty. 1st ML Sqn of MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, PORT QUEBEC, and MENESTHEUS departed Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN.68 B, initial escort DD ST MARYS. Distant heavy cover was provided by CLs EDINBURGH and NIGERIA, which departed Scapa Flow 1 hr before midnight the same day. They rendezvoused with the MLs on the 10th. The mines were laid on the 11th. The MLs and heavy cover ships arrived back on the 12th whilst DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU refuelled at Loch Alsh on the 13th. COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI departed Loch Alsh pm yjr 14th and joined convoy OB.297 at 1100 in the Minches.

BBs KGV and RODNEY escorted by DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, TARTAR, MATABELE, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow that morning to cover the convoy route. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow in the late morning of the 13th. BB KG V proceeded to Halifax arriving on the 15th. The BBp departed Halifax on the 17th escorting HX.115. She arrived at Scapa Flow on the 31st. BB RODNEY escorted convoy HX.114 already at sea. She then proceeded to Reykjavik to refuel arriving on the 24th. BB RODNEY proceeded to Halifax arriving on the 31st

Channel
MSW trawler HATSUSE was mined 1.2 miles 180° from Penlee Point (SE Cornwall). She was beached in Cawsand Bay in a sinking condition, but salved and taken to Plymouth on the 11th for repair. She was returned to service

Med/Biscay
RN cruisers YORK, BONAVENTURE, and GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria at noon as convoy AG.4. The cruisers arrived at Piraeus on the 10th. After disembarkation, the cruisers sailed to Suda Bay, arriving early on the 11th to take over the Aegean patrol duties.

British cruisers ORION and AJAX and RAN CL PERTH arrived at Suda Bay at early on the 10th for fuel. They sailed that day for Alexandria. Cruisers ORION and PERTH arrived at Alexandria to fit additional AAt weapons. Cruiser AJAX was detached to Port Said, arriving early on the 12th, to have her catapult removed prior to additional AA gun installations. DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK, formerly of convoy AG.2, oiled at Suda Bay and then joined the British Force A west of the Kithera Channel.

A German supply convoy of steamers ANKARA, KYBFELS, MARBURG, and REICHENFELS escorted by RM DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, MALOCELLO, FOLGORE, and LAMPO, which departed Naples on the 5th and arrived at Palermo on the 8th, departed Palermo on the 9th. Italian steamers SEBASTINO VENIER and ANDREA GRITTI which departed Naples on the 6th escorted by TB ALCIONE, arrived at Palermo on the 8th. The convoy was joined by TBs PALLADE and POLLUCE from Palermo. Both convoys were joined by TBs CLIO and CENTAURO from Tripoli. The German convoy arrived at Tripoli at noon on the 10th and the Italian convoy the next day.

An Italian convoy of steamers TANARO , CAFFARO, FENICIA, and CAPO VITA escorted by TB PAPA and RM AMC DEFFENU, departed Palermo, via Trapani, for Tripoli. When the convoy departed Trapani, it was escorted by AMC DEFFENU only. Steamer CAFFARO was detached with mechanical problems and returned with steamer TANARO to Trapani.

RN Sub UTMOST sank steamer CAPO VITA (FI 5683 grt) i in the Gulf ofHammanet. UTMOST also made an unsuccessful attack on DEFFENU.

Steamer FENICIA (FI 2584 grt) was sunk by RN sub UNIQUE on the 10th, 60 miles SE of Kerkenah.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy GA.2 of empty personnel ships departed Piraeus escorted by DDs JAGUAR, WRYNECK, and RAN VAMPIRE. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 11th.

Two RHN DDs patrolled between Santorin Is and Kaso Straits during the night of 9/10 March.

RAN DD VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Port Said for escort duties in convoy AN.19.

CV FORMIDABLE and DDs JUNO and GRIFFIN after passing through the Suez Canal departed Port Said for Alexandria, arriving on the 10th. CLA CARLISLE, traveled through the Canal with the carrier, accompanied the ships from Port Said to Alexandria. Sloop GRIMSBY, which also traveled with these ships through the Canal, remained at Port Said for convoy AN.19 duties.

Vichy submarine depot ship JULES VERNE, escorted by DDs ALBATROS and TEMPETE passed Gibraltar westbound on the 9th. These ships had come from Casablanca. DD TEMPETE arrived at Oran with convoy K 28 on the 1st and DD ALBATROS with convoy K 29 on the 3rd. The submarine depot ship departed Bizerte on the 4th and arrived at Casablanca on the 10th.


Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 10 Monday
MEDITERRANEAN: The newly worked-up aircraft carrier, HMS "Formidable", passed through the Suez Canal to join Admiral Andrew Cunningham's Mediterranean fleet at Alexandria, Egypt, which has been without an armoured carrier since HMS "Illustrious" had been withdrawn as a result of the serious damage it had suffered from enemy dive-bombers in January 1941.

Primavera Offensive: Italian forces in Albania launched another offensive along a 130 mile long front in an effort to throw Greek forces back to their own territory. Italian 11th Army continued the offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with limited success.

The fighters of 7./JG 26 return over St. Paul's Bay and complete the destruction of the Sunderland flying boat damaged on 7 March and damage a second aircraft.

British submarine HMS "Unique" sank Italian ship "Fenicia" 100 miles northwest of Tripoli, Libya.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Canvas. General Platt's Nigerian Brigade has advance 450 miles North from Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland, into Ethiopia. They meet Italian resistance at Degehabur, on the road 100 miles South of Jijiga. Known as the "Hindenburg Wall", these old trenches and gun pits were built by the Ethiopians in 1936 against the Italian invasion during the 2nd Italo-Abyssinian War.

The German 5th Panzer Regiment arrived in North Africa.

Belgian Congolese troops entered Ethiopia from the west and captured the Italian garrison town of Asosa by surprise.

NORTH AMERICA: French diplomat Gaston Henry-Haye was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in the United States.

Roosevelt requested $ 7 billion in military credit to Britain under the new lend-lease law. Churchill expressed British thanks for the measure, hailing it as a "Magna Charta".

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-552 sank Icelandic trawler "Reykjaborg" with surface weapons 460 miles southeast of Iceland at midnight, killing 12. Of the 3 survivors, 1 of them would die before being rescued by British corvette HMS "Pimpernel" four days later.

In the Straits of Dover, three cargo ships, all carrying coal in a coastal convoy, were sunk by mines:- 'SS Corinia' (870t) Blyth to Cowes. Seven of her crew were lost. 'SS Sparta' (708t) Blyth to Southampton. 'SS Waterland' (1,107t) Sunderland to Cowes. Five crew were lost.

UNITED KINGDOM: German bombers attacked Portsmouth, England with 238 aircraft overnight, sinking minesweeping trawler HMT "Revello" (killing 1) and damaging destroyer HMS "Sherwood", destroyer HMS "Witherington", destroyer HMS "Tynedale", training ship HMS "Marshal Soult", and 4 minesweeping trawlers. Over a thousand people were rendered homeless, 93 were killed and over 250 injured. 10 shore-based Naval personnel are also killed.

RN Force H arrives from Gibraltar to escort convoy SL.67.

EASTERN EUROPE: Nikolai Voznesensky stepped down as the Chairman of the State Planning Committee of the Soviet Union and took the new role as the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union. Maksim Saburov became the Chairman of State Planning Committee of the Soviet Union.

ASIA: Japanese rear admiral Takijirō Ōnishi gave Isoroku Yamamoto a draft of the Pearl Harbor attack plan.

Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army captures Kuankungling, Hutzuchung, and Hsianglingkou without resistance.

Japan resolved a number of outstanding disputes in south east Asia by winning a French cession of Cambodian territory to Thailand and receiving a monopoly on the production of all rice produced in Indochina. French authorities in Indochina also granted Japan full use of the Saigon airport. Previously, Japan had sought military rights only in the Northern section of Vietnam.

WESTERN FRONT: Vichy France threatens to use its navy unless Britain allows food to reach France. Beer was rationed in Vichy France due to a shortage of barley and hops. Starting March 15, beer could not be sold on Saturdays or Tuesdays.

The British four-engined Handley Page Halifax aircraft makes its operational debut. During the night, six British Handley Page Halifax bombers of No. 35 Squadron of No. 4 Group from RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, England attacked Le Havre, France. It was the operational debut of the four-engine heavy bomber. It was marred by the accidental shoot-down of one of them by an RAF nightfighter. Veterans of Halifax bomber crews recalled their relative relief knowing that, flying at the high altitude that Halifax bombers were capable of, they were safe from flak; however, they had the vulnerability of having a large blind spot beneath the back of the aircraft, which soon became a favorite angle of attack by German Luftwaffe fighters.

RAF Bomber Command sent 14 aircraft to attack St Nazaire overnight. RAF Fighter Command conducted a sweep over Calais.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 19 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Queensland's Public Works Department began cutting and filling the ground for the first large building of the Rocklea Small Arms Factory. The site later became the Rocklea Munitions Works, taking on larger projects.

.

 

[parsifal]

10 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fairmile B ML 214
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vosper 70' type MTB 36
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steamers CORINIA (UK 870 grt), SPARTA (UK 708 grt), and WATERLAND (UK 1107 grt) were sunk on mines whilst enroute from Blythe to Cowes carrying coal.. Nine crew and five gunners were lost on steamer CORINIA. Nine crew were missing on steamer SPARTA. Five crew and two gunners were lost on steamer WATERLAND.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.552 sank trawler REYKJABORG (Iceland 687 grt) 459 miles SE of Iceland. Two crew from the trawler were saved. At 2052 hrs, U-552 hit the REYKJABORG with a dud and then surfaced and fired 103 rounds from the deck gun and 592 rounds from the 2cm AA gun at the vessel between 2314 and 2347 hrs. The trawler sank about 459 miles SE of Iceland. One of the three survivors that managed to reach a raft died but on 14 March the others were picked up by Corvette HMS PIMPERNEL escorting the convoy OB-296 and later landed at Greenock.

UBOATS
At Sea 10 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-110, U-124, U-147, U-551, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD WORCESTER, escorting convoy FN.428 drove off three DKM S-boats off the coast of Norfolk. DD SOUTHDOWN, escorting convoy FS.429A drove off DKM S-boats off Sheringham. There was no damage to either convoy.

DKM MLs KONIGIN LUISE and COBRA, escorted by the MSWFlot 5, laid minefield PREGEL during the night of 10/11 March extending the Westwall minefield northwards

West Coast
OB.296 departed Liverpool, escort DD VANQUISHER and corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, and PIMPERNEL. The escort was joined on the 11th by DDs WHITEHALL and WINCHELSEA and on the 12th by DD VICEROY. On 13 March, VICEROY was detached. The three corvettes were detached on the 14th. The remaining 3 DDs were detached on the 15th when the convoy was dispersed.

Submarine H.28 was in a collision with an unknown merchant ship in the Irish Sea. The submarine was repaired at Belfast from 12 March to 14 April.

Norwegian steamer BUR was damaged by the LW off the Pembrokeshire coast. The ship put into Fishguard during the evening of 10 March in a sinking condition. The ship was beached on Goodwick Sands and later repaired at Barry.

Dutch steamer LIBRA was damaged by near misses by the LW. The steamer was towed into Swansea.

SW Approaches
RNeN sub O.23 arrived at Gibraltar from England.

Med/Biscay
Damaged CV ILLUSTRIOUS departed Alexandria, escort DDs JUNO and GRIFFIN, for Port Said. Due to mining in the Canal, the transit of the carrier through the Canal was delayed for 5 days . The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 11th. ILLUSTRIOUS did not begin her transit of the Canal until the 15th. The carrier was then en route for repairs in the United States. These repairs required eleven months to complete, and the carrier was never able to fully recover from the damage she had received.

Nth Atlantic
SC.25 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC LACONIA and sub THUNDERBOLT. The sub was detached on the 15th and the AMC on the 24th. On 26 March, DDs CHESTERFIELD, GARLAND, and OTTAWA, sloop WESTON, and corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, and PICOTEE joined the escort. The escorts were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th

Central Atlantic
BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, and DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar to protect the SL.convoy route. They relieved BB MALAYA in protecting SL.67. BB MALAYA and DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER then proceeded to Gibraltar for victualling and fuel. DDs VERITY, VETERAN, HESPERUS, HAVELOCK, and HURRICANE from convoy OB.298 joined convoy SL.67. SL.67 was also soon joined by DDs DOUGLAS, CHELSEA, WOLSEY, MANSFIELD, SALISBURY, BROKE, and SALADIN.

Sth Atlantic
DKM tkr NORDMARK met German supply ship ALSTERUFER (2704grt) on the 10th. On 11 March, the tanker refueled the supply ship.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BN.19 departed Aden, escorted by sloop AUCKLAND. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 17th.

RAN CA CANBERRA and NZ Manned CL LEANDER departed Mauritius to patrol 400 miles SE of Madagascar with AMC CITY OF DURBAN. On 20 March, LEANDER left for patrol and returned to Mauritius arriving on the 22nd. She refuelled and departed the same day to patrol a line between Mauritius and Madagascar.

Malta

 

[parsifal]

11 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fairmile B ML 207
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Ex-USS PT-9 Class MTB 258

MTB 258 as the former USS PT-9. She was later to serve in the RCN

Elco 70' class MTB 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Higgins Type PT-5 Class MTBs 269,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

81' type PT-6 type MTB 270, 271
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


Losses
U.106 sank steamer MEMNON (UK 7506 grt) off the coast of West Africa. With a crew of 70, carrying a cargo of wheat, zinc ingots and general cargo, enroute from Port Pirie Sth Australia to Liverpool, Five crew were lost on the steamer. One gunner and three passengers were taken prisoner. Twenty crew were detained but were subsequently released.

At 1546 hrs on 11 Mar, 1941, the unescorted MEMNON was hit by one torpedo from U-106 about 200 miles west of Cape Blanco, French West Africa and sank by the stern 15 minutes later following a second hit at 1547 hrs. Distress signals sent out and received by a Spanish vessel further north were received, but the Spaniards refused to pass on the signals (a result of their new aligned status of pro-Axis non belligerent). Three crew members and two passengers (RAF personnel) were lost. The master and 21 survivors landed at Yoff near Dakar on 21 March and were detained by the Vichy French authorities. All survivors at Dakar were interned by the Vichy French authorities, but after 25 days all 7 Chinese survivors were allowed to leave across the border to Bathurst together with the master, chief engineer officer, boatswain and another crew member. Only 14 men of military age, including one gunner and three passengers, were taken to an internment camp at Koulikoro in French Sudan where conditions were described as "poor". 3 of these men escaped from captivity in April and tried to reach British territory by following the river Niger, but were caught near the border. On 29 May 1941 all remaining internees were taken to Kaolack and allowed to leave to Bathurst in exchange of two gallons of petrol and seven French prisoners for each of the British detainees.

The remaining survivors not taken by the Vichy authorities landed at Bathurst on 24 March, one of these lifeboats with 24 survivors had been found by the DKM BC GNEISENAU, which took three passengers and one gunner as prisoners on board.

Steamer TREVETHOE (UK 5257 grt), from convoy FS.32, was sunk by S.28, NE of Yarmouth during the night of 11/12 March. One gunner was lost on the steamer. She was carrying wheat at the time of her loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler ABERDEEN (UK 163 grt) was sunk by near misses by attacking LW a/c in Cardigan Bay (off the west coast of Wales, nth of the Bristol channel). Eight crew of a ten man crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
At Sea 11 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-110, U-124, U-147, U-551, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD CATTISTOCK in the Nth Sea was damaged by LW air strikes. The damage required five days to repair. British steamer ROYAL STAR was damaged by German bombing at Stonehaven.

Northern Waters
DD ESCAPADE departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow following repairs, and arrived early on the 12th

West Coast
During the night of 11/12 March, British steamers CONTRACTOR, NOVELIST, and MARKHOR and Swedish steamer STELLA were damaged by LW air attacks at Manchester. Steamer CONTRACTOR was damaged by a near miss. Steamer NOVELIST had direct hit through number 2 hatchway. Steamer MARKHOR sustained a direct hit. She was repaired at Glasgow. Steamer STELLA was sunk at her berth, however she was refloated in October 1941 with a broken back. She was repaired and put in service as British steamer RIVER SWIFT.

Western Approaches
U.37 damaged Icelandic trawler FRODI with gunfire 200 miles SE of Reykjavik. Five crew were killed. The trawler arrived at VestmannIslandon the 12th. She put back toReykjavik on the 15th.

SW Approaches
CLs SHEFFIELD and ARETHUSA and DDs FEARLESS, FORTUNE, and FORESIGHT departed Gibraltar escorting the large British troopship STRATHMORE. On 12 March, the three DDs returned to Gibraltar. CL ARETHUSA was detached on the 15th to support sloop CARBOROUGH with convoy HG.55. DDs LEGION, BURWELL, BROADWATER, and RIPLEY were sent from Falmouth for escort duty on the inbound legs. The first three DDs joined CL SHEFFIELD, but RIPLEY failed to make contact. SHEFFIELD was damaged by the explosion of two British mines close aboard off Islay Island on the 17th. The damage was described as slight and did not require immediate repair. The force arrived in the Clyde on the 17th.

Channel
Portsmouth was heavily attacked by the LW. DD WITHERINGTON was damaged by LW attacks while alongside the jetty at Portsmouth. The DD was towed to a mud bank and beached. Repair was completed in five and a half months at Portsmouth. In this heavy bombardment of Portsmouth during the night of 10/11 March, 13 officers and sailors were killed. DD TYNEDALE was damaged by near misses while berthed at Pitch House Jetty at Portsmouth. The destroyer was repaired in nine days. DD SHERWOOD, under repair at Portsmouth, was damaged by a near miss.

During the night of 10/11 March, MSW trawler REVELLO was sunk by the LW at Portsmouth. However I have not counted this as a loss, as the trawler was raised and drydocked on 20 August. The ship was repaired and recommissioned. There was one fatality. Monitor MARSHALL SOULt and four minesweeping trawlers were damaged by German bombing at Portsmouth.

Med/Biscay
Convoy AS.18 with four British and two other ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DD HASTY. The convoy was joined by DD HERO from Suda Bay. Convoy AS.18 arrived at Alexandria on the 14th.

AN.19 with 8 British ships, 12 Greek ships, 2 other ships departed Alexandria escorted by RHN DDs SPETSAI and HYDRA. The convoy was joined at daylight on the 13th by RAN DD VENDETTA, Sloop GRIMSBY, and steamers of the convoy coming from Port Said. CLA COVENTRY also departed Alexandria on the 12th to join the convoy. COVENTRY was unable to meet the convoy due to bad weather and was forced to take shelter at Suda Bay on the 14th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 15th.

CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER departed Suda Bay late on the 11th to patrol in the Western Aegean. British tanker DESMOULEA, torpedoed at the end of January, finally departed Suda Bay for Piraeus towed by tug IRENE VERENICOS and escorted by DD HOTSPUR. On 12 March, DD HAVOCK was sent from Piraeus to relieve DD HOTSPUR and return with the tkr to Suda Bay, due to poor weather.

RHN DD SPHENDONI reported an ASW attack six miles south of Cape Thaso on the 11th. RHN DD PSARA attacked and claimed the sinking of an RM sub on the 11th, 12 miles 200 from Falconera. Italian records don't support this.

British gunboat LADYBIRD departed Alexandria to relieve gunboat GNAT in the Inshore Squadron.

Nth Atlantic
HX.114 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC CHITRAL. BHX.114 departed Bermuda on the 9th escorted by AMC WORCESTERSHIRE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.114 on the 14th and the WORCESTERSHIRE was detached. With the sailing of BHX.114, the Admiralty suspended the sailing of these convoys until BHX.127 on 13 May. BB RODNEY was with the convoy on the 15th and BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN on the 16th and 17th. AMC CHITRAL was detached on the 24th. The convoy was joined by DDs COLUMBIA, MONTGOMERY, VANITY, and WANDERER, sloop WESTON, corvettes NASTRUTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE, and anti-submarine trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE for the escort in Home waters. MONTGOMERY and VANITY, sloop WESTON, and the trawlers were detached later on the 24th. The remainder of the escort was dispersed when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

Central Atlantic
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU refueled at sea from tankers ERMLAND and UCKERMARK. After refueling, the four ships in a line thirty miles apart swept for British shipping.

SubmarineSEVERNdeparted Halifax for Freetown, arriving on the 25th for patrol duties.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BS.18 A departed Port Sudan, escorted by sloop SHOREHAM. The convoy was dispersed on the 15th. Convoy BS.19 departed Suez. RAN Sloop YARRA joined on the 17th and was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 19th.


Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 11 Tuesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-74 attacked Icelandic trawler "Frodi" with her deck gun 192 miles southeast of Iceland at 0800 hours. 5 were killed in the attack. "Frodi" would be able to escape to Vestmannaeyjar Island on the next day.

German submarine U-106 sank British ship "Memnon" 200 miles west of Senegal, French West Africa, killing 5. Of the 69 survivors, 4 were captured by German battlecruiser "Gneisenau", 22 made land in Senegal on 21 Mar, and 43 made land in Sierra Leone on 24 Mar.

NORTH AFRICA: The Panzer Regiment of German 5th Light Division completed disembarking from freighters at Tripoli, Libya with 120 tanks. A parade was staged with the newly arrived tanks, with some of the tanks going around the town multiple times to make their numbers seem greater. The tanks headed east toward Sirte after the parade. Meanwhile, Rommel has flown back to Germany for further orders and has been told that when the 15th Panzer Division arrives in Libya at the end of May he is to recapture Benghazi.

UNITED KINGDOM: 135 German aircraft dropped 122 tons of high explosive bombs and 830 incendiary bombs on Birmingham, England. Old Trafford football stadium, the home of Manchester United F.C., was hit by a bomb aimed at the industrial complex of Trafford Park, wrecking the pitch and demolishing the stands. The stadium was rebuilt after the war and reopened in 1949.

German bombers again attacked Portsmouth with 135 aircraft. Although technically not part of the second Blitz, the attacks on Portsmouth continued, when another couple of thousand incendiaries and hundreds of HE bombs were dropped over the city.

ASIA: Thai-Vichy French Frontier Agreement signed aboard Japanese warship in Gulf of Siam. Vichy French and Thai delegates negotiated a treaty in which Thailand regained territory west of the Mekong River. Japan dictated that France would return parts of Cambodia and Laos, which the French had gained from Thailand about 40 years prior, to Thailand.

Western Hupei operation: Having razed the countryside and inflicted considerable casualties, Japanese 13th Infantry Division ends offensive and begins withdrawing to its bases.

MEDITERRANEAN: As English diplomats arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, a bomb smuggled into their luggage exploded, killing 2.

Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with limited success.

NORTH AMERICA: US President Roosevelt signed the Lend Lease Act into law, which allowed Allied nations to purchase weapons and other supplies from the United States on credit.

EASTERN FRONT: Soviet A.M. Vasilevskii writes the Strategic Deployment Plan, refined from the September 1940 plan, with the main attack on Germany proposed for southern Poland. The document states that the offensive is to begin on "12.6" (June 12). Timoshenko and Zhukov meet with Stalin and Molotov and make recommendations for deployment of troops.

Anti-Axis demonstrations in Belgrade.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 27 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

.

 

[parsifal]

12 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fairmile B RNorN ML 208
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steamer EMPIRE FROST (UK 7005 grt) was badly damaged by the LW in the western approaches. Six crew were lost. The steamer was taken in tow but again attacked on the 13th, at which time she sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.37 sank trawler PERTRUSEY (Iceland 91 grt) by gunfire south of Iceland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-108, U-147 (?)

Departures
Kiel: U-98

At Sea 12 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551, U-552, UA

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer CAMROUX I was damaged on a mine 3 miles east of Blyth. The steamer was towed to Blyth for repairs. British steamer ESSEX LANCE was damaged by the LW. The steamer was taken in tow and beached on the 13th two miles northwest of Cromer. She was refloated on the 14th and anchored off Immingham Dock on the 18th.

Northern Waters
Cl FIJI arrived at Scapa Flow following her repair of the September 1940 torpedo damage for work up.

West Coast
OB.297 departed Liverpool, escort DDs COSSACK, KEPPEL, LINCOLN, MAORI, SABRE, SHIKARI, VENOMOUS, WOOLSTON, and ZULU, corvette SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN and WELLARD. DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU were detached on the 14th. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 17th.

Liverpool was hit by a heavy raid by the LW on the night of 12/13 March. Ships sunk include the following:

Steamer BUENOS AIRES (SD 5646 grt). The engines were removed from the vessel which was used as a supply ship at Scapa Flow.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British Floating crane MAMMOTH was sunk in dock at Liverpool, however the vessel was raised during 1941 and returned to service.

During the night of 12/13 March, British flat barge EXCELISOR was sunk at the east end of the south side of Trafalgar Branch Dock, Liverpool. The vessel was raised and returned to service by the end of 1941.

Steamer CATRINE (UK 5218 grt). There is no record of her return to service
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer IMPERIAL STAR was damaged. She was back in service by August, finally being sunk in the evacuation of Singapore. The bomb which struck steamer IMPERIAL STAR penetrated three decks before exploding.

British Steamer ELAX. ELAX's machinery was smashed. She was anchored in the River Mersey and used as a storage ship until a new engine was installed. She returned to service 1941 or 1942.

British Tankers EL MIRLO and DELPHINULA were damaged by German bombing at Liverpool. They both returned to service

Med/Biscay
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, HOTSPUR, RAN DDs VOYAGER and WATERHEN departed Suda Bay to cover movements of convoy AG.5. DDs ILEX and GREYHOUND joined this force from Piraeus. HOTSPUR, relieved of escort of tkr DESMOULEA, and DD WATERHEN from Force A were ordered to Piraeus to escort convoy AS.19.

AG.5 of Greek personnel ships CORINTHIA), IONIA, HELLAS, and MARIE MAERSK departed Alexandria escort RAN DD VAMPIRE and RN DD WRYNECK. DD DECOY departed Alexandria that evening to overtake the convoy at daylight on the 13th and reinforce the escort. Tkr MARIE MAERSK lost touch with the convoy and proceeded to SudaBay. The convoy arrived at Piraeus late on the 14th.

Italian troop convoy departed Naples with troopships CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, and VICTORIA escorted by DDs CAMICIA NERA and GENIERE, joined by DD FOLGORE from Palermo. Distant cover was provided by RM CAs TRIESTE, TRENTO, BOLZANO, DDs CARABINIERE, CORAZZIERE, and AVIERE, TB DEZZA, and three MAS boats. The convoy arrived at Tripolion the 13th

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Troop Convoy US.9/2 departed Bombay with Danish steamer AMERIKA, British EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, WAIRANGI, and WINDSORCASTLE, Dutch INDRAPOERA, JOHAN DE WITT, and NIEUW ZEELAND, and Turkish ML YUZBASHI HAKKI.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 12 Wednesday
UNITED KINGDOM: German bombers attacked Merseyside (containing the city of Liverpool), England. 8 merchant ships were sunk, one floating crane was destroyed, and 174 people were killed in the town of Wallasey. The He 111 bombers of KG 55 flew to the Liverpool area. One bomber is shot down by a Defiant from RAF No 264 Squadron and another is destroyed by a Hurricane from RAF No 96 Squadron.

Winston Churchill thanked the US for "a new Magna Carta", referring to the Lend-Lease Act signed into law on the previous day.

Maurice Buckmaster joins Special Operations Executive, subsequently becoming head of F Section for operations in France.

MEDITERRANEAN: Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with limited success and increasing losses.

Benito Mussolini visited Italian troops in Albania to bolster morale. He insists the offensive must be continued.

Italian troop convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with three passenger ships escorted by three Italian destroyers and covered by strong force of cruisers and other warships.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-37 sank Icelandic trawler "Pétursey" with surface weapons 300 miles south of Iceland at 1805 hours. All 10 crew members were reported to have taken to lifeboats, but they would never been seen again.

GERMANY: British Bomber Command sends 88 Halifax and Manchester bombers against Hamburg, 86 aircraft to attack Bremen and 72 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.

NORTH AFRICA: Italian supply convoy of four cargo vessels reaches Tripoli from Naples without loss.

Advanced Brigade Headquarters and 4/16 Punjab moved from the bivouac area at Cogai to an area two miles to the north-east of Mt. Engiahat.

ASIA: Western Hupei operation: Chinese River Defense Force cautiously pursues Japanese 13th Infantry Division as it withdraws to its bases.

.