This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning (1 Viewer)

[parsifal]

13 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-79
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 2,983 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 10,356 GRT
1 warship a total loss, total tonnage 625 tons
Sunk on 23 December 1941 in the Med nth of Sollum, by DCs from the British DDs HASTY and HOTSPUR. 44 survivors (no casualties).

Type VIIC U-561
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
5 ships sunk, total tonnage 17,146 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 4,043 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 5,062 GRT
Sunk on 12 July 1943 in the straits of Messina, by a torpedo from the RN MTB 81. 42 dead and 5 survivors.

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS ERICSSON (DD440)

Allied
Fairmile B ML 224
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steamer TACOMA CITY (UK 4738 grt) was sunk on a mine 2½ cables 104 from Rock Ferry Light, Mersey. Four crew were lost on the steamer.

Steamer ULLAPOOL (UK 4891 grt) was sunk on a mine off Princess Stage, Mersey. 14 crew and 1 gunner were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tug BULLGER (UK 270 grt) was sunk on a mine in Druridge Bay, 16 miles nth of the Tyne. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer SAMLANES (Nor 842 grt) was sunk on a mine two miles 180° from The Lizard (southern coast of Cornwall). The entire crew was lost. The vessel had departed Swansea for Shoreham on March 12-1941 with a full cargo of coal. She struck a mine the next day about 2 n. miles off Lizard. The coast guard had observed what happened and a rescue vessel was sent out, but no survivors were found among the debris. 13 Norwegian, 1 Irish and 1 Swedish had been on board. An empty raft from SAMLANES found by a Belgian trawler 2 days later.

(German aircraft had dropped large amounts of magnetic and acoustic mines in the Mersey, Thames, Humber and Clyde inlets at this time, and had laid several mine fields on the east coast with the help of fast torpedo boats. Many ships fell victim to these operations.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-551

At Sea 13 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-552, UA

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD WORCESTER off Southwold, escorting convoy FS.34, drove off DKM S-boats attempting to attack the convoy.

British steamer NGATIRA was damaged on a mine. The steamer was beached with the engine room flooded. She was later refloated and towed to Barry.

Northern Waters
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy EN.85 off Tod Head and provide AA cover as far as Cape Wrath. The ship arrived returned to Scapa on the 15th.

West Coast
British steamers WEARWOOD, MOUNT STEWART, and MYRMIDON were damaged by a further air attack on Liverpool. The bomb which struck steamer MOUNT STEWART exploded in the lower hold. Steamer MYRMIDON was sunk in dock, however she was refloated and drydocked on the 27th. All were returned to service. British smack TWO BROTHERS was sunk by German bombing in Bentick Dock, Kings Lynn. The smack was raised and placed on a mud bank. She too was returned to service.

During the night of 13/14 March, British steamer CLERMISTON was damaged by the LW in Rothesay Dock at Glasgow. The steamer was sunk, however she was refloated in October 1941 and beached in Rames Bay. The steamer was towed to Ardrossan in 1942, and eventually returned to service.

During the night of 13/14 March, in LW raids on the Clyde, DDs GOATHLAND and HALDON, under construction, were damaged.

During the night of 13/14 March, steamer TREVARRACK was sunk by LW air attacks at the Dalmuir Basin, Clyde. However steamer TREVARRACK was refloated at the end of March and repaired.

Collier BELHAVEN (UK 1498 grt) was sunk by the LW at the Clyde during the night of 13/14 March.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer PERSEUS (NL 1307 grt) was sunk by the LW 12 miles NW of Bardsey Island )a small island off the coast of nth Wales). The entire crew was rescued. (There were several ships bearing this name at around this time).

SW Approaches
Sloop SCARBOROUGH, escorting convoy HG.55, intercepted Norwegian whalers STAR XIX and STAR XXIV, which had been captured by German raider PINGUIN on 15 January, in the North Atlantic as they attempted to return to a German controlled port. Both whalers were scuttled by the German prize crews. The German crews were recued by SCARBOROUGH and taken prisoner

Med/Biscay
CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER arrived at Suda Bay on the 13th. DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK, detached from Force A, joined these cruisers at Suda Bay. The British ships departed again later that day to cover convoys through the Kaso Straits. During the night of 13/14 March, the force swept ahead of convoy AS.19 in Kaso Straits. DD NUBIAN reported three Italian MAS boats in the area. The MAS boats were able to escape. DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK proceeded to Suda Bay to refuel after the sweep. This sweep was covered by Force A.

Central Atlantic
Convoy SL.68 departed Freetown escort AMC CANTON to 21 March, CL MAURITIUS to 15 March, corvettes CALENDULA, CROCUS, and MARGUERITE to 20 March, and ASW trawlers KELt and TURCOMAN to 15 March. DD WISHART escorted the convoy on the 15th only. BB MALAYA joined on the 15th and departed after being torpedoed on the 21st. The convoy was dispersed due to submarine activity on the 21st and the ships were ordered to Halifax, Bermuda, or Trinidad


Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 13 Thursday
UNITED KINGDOM: The Clydebank Blitz: 236 German bombers attacked Glasgow and Clydeside, Scotland for the first time, targeting munitions factories and docks, sinking 3 cargo ships and damaging 2 destroyers. To the south, German bombers attacked Liverpool for the second night in a row, pushing total casualty to about 500. The bombers of KG 55 return to Liverpool and lose two more Heinkels, one crashing in the Channel and another shot down by a Beaufighter from RAF No 219 Squadron.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by 6 Blenheim bombers to Calais were heavily escorted by fighters. The Kommodore of JG 51, Major Werner Mölders shoots down British ace S/Ldr Aeneas 'Donald' MacDonald of RAF No. 64 Squadron. MacDonald was leading a sweep over Northern France when he is attacked by the Kommodore and bales out over the Channel.

15 members of the Dutch resistance were executed by firing squad in Scheveningen.

GERMANY: Germany repeated its demand that Yugoslavia join the Axis. It became increasingly apparent to Berlin that German troops would be needed in Greece and access through Yugoslavia was essential.

Adolf Hitler appointed Alfred Rosenberg the minister of the eastern occupied territories, while further conquests would be assigned to Heinrich Himmler. Hermann Göring was given the responsibility of exploiting the resources in conquered Soviet territory.

Hitler issues an edict calling for an invasion of the Soviet Union. Wilhelm Keitel issues a supplement to Directive No. 21, laying down rules for administration of occupied Russia.

RAF Bomber Command sends 139 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

NORTH AFRICA: Allied reconnaissance groups spotted from Mt. Gegghiro some Italian troops on Pt. 1967. An observation post party sent at 1200 hours from 4/16 Punjab to Mt. Gegghiro, ran into an Italian observation post, which had been established there and all the men of the Indian party were killed or captured. Thus surprise was lost. On the same day, the 1st Royal Sussex encountered Italians on the Pt. 2084 ridge. The advance was held up and all efforts to reach their objectives on the ridge during the day failed.

Erwin Rommel moved his headquarter to Sirte, Libya.

Luftwaffe attacks El Adem with fifteen Ju 87s and nine Ju 88 bombers.

Italian troop convoy from Naples arrives at Tripoli without loss.

Emperor Haile Selassie and Orde Wingate enter Burye with Gideon Force.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British sloop HMS "Scarborough" intercepted Norwegian whalers "Star XIX" and "Star XXIV", which were captured on 15 Jan 1941 by German merchant raider "Pinguin", 400 miles north of the Azores. Both whalers were scuttled by their German crews to prevent capture.

MEDITERRANEAN: Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with increased air support but little success.

ASIA: Western Hupei operation: Western Hupei operation ends with Japanese 13th Infantry Division, having razed much of the countryside and destroyed four Chinese divisions, back in its original positions along the Yangtze River near Ichang.


.

 

[parsifal]

14 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Benson/Gleaves Class USS MONSSEN (i) (DD436)

USN DDs USS KEARNY (left) and MONSSEN off Iceland, October 1941, after KEARNY sustained torpedo damage, visible amidships. MONSSEN was sunk 14 November 1942 during the Battle of Guadacanal

Allied
MSW HMS THORROD
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Douwe Aukes Class ML HMS VAN MEERLANT (M-36)

There were two ships in this class, the Both DOUWE AUKES and VAN MEERLANT. They were paret of the RNeN (Europe) at the start of the war. They managed to escape to the UK in May 1940, where they were initially laid up. Being coal-fired and having only small range, they were only suitable for local defence duties. Limited manpower forced the RNeN to transfer these ships to the RN.

Losses
RM sub EMO sank steamer WESTERN CHIEF (UK 5759 grt), a straggler from convoy SC.24, in the Western Approaches. EMO did well in this attack, as the ship was attacked in broad daylight, and was armed. WESTERN CHIEF was an ex-USN naval auxiliary acquired roughly at the same time as the Destroyers for bases deal, along with roughly 1 million tons of other US and neutral shipping. She had been purchased in early 1940 by HM govt at scrap prices to offset losses sustained in the Atlantic. She made 4 crossings of the Atlantic before her loss. 22 crew were lost on the steamer.

Steamer HERPORT (UK 2633 grt) was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. 4 crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer STANLEIGH (UK 1802 grt) was sunk by the LW 12 miles 288° from Bar Light Vessel, Mersey. 16 crew and the gunner were lost on the steamer. STANLEIGH was in convoy off Liverpool Bay when she was attacked at night by a German Aircraft. She soon sank, rolling so that she destroyed one of her boats full of men. 6 men survived on a raft (oil barrels and planks) being picked up after a day afloat.

Steamer ARTEMISIA (UK 6507 grt) was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea, whilst enroute from London to the Tyne. She was sunk near Aldeburgh. One crewman and one gunner were lost on the steamer.

Steam drifter PEACEFUL STAR (UK 94 grt) was sunk by the LW 17 miles ESE of Rockabill Light House (near Dublin). The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer RAINER (FN 2609 grt), whilst in Axis service was sunk by an RN submarine between Emden and Cuxhaven.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
At Sea 14 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-552, UA

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
MSW FRANKLIN was damaged by four near misses from LW a/c in the Nth Sea. DDs HOLDERNESS and VANESSA in convoy FS.35 drove off DKM S-boats attempting to attack the convoy.

Naval drifter JEANNIE LEASK was mined in the Nth Sea. The drifter was beached in Brightling sea Harbour. She was bombed on the 25th. The drifter was refloated on 13 April and taken to Wivenhoe for repairs. She survived all these attacks.

Norwegian steamer TYR was damaged by the LW off the Humber Light Vessel. The steamer arrived at Immingham on the 15th, assisted by tugs.

Northern Waters
BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow to operate south of Iceland. The ships rendezvoused on the 15th with DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI which were submarine hunting after escorting convoy OB.297. The Tribal DDs were sent to Reykjavik to refuel on the 16th. The DDs sailed from Reykjavik on the 16th. They rejoined on the 17th and DDs BOADICEA, ACTIVE, and ESCAPADE were then sent to Reykjavik to refuel.

DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow to escort British steamer WALMER CASTLE to the Firth of Forth. After the escort, the DD proceeded to Rosyth for refitting, arriving on the 15th.

West Coast
Tug MINEGARTH (179grt), tanker SCOTTISH CHIEF (7006grt), and steamer EMPIRE SIMBA (5691grt) were damaged by German bombing at Liverpool.

Tanker SCOTTISH CHIEF was struck by a direct hit. However she remained afloat, and left Liverpool on 29 April for Manchester.

SW Approaches
HG.56 departed Gibraltar escort by sloop FOLKESTONE and subm OLYMPUS with DD VELOX and corvettes GERANIUM and VERBENA as local escorts, detached on the 16th. CL KENYA was with the convoy on the 23rd. The submarine was detached on the 26th to OG.56. On 27 March, DDs LEGION, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, WATCHMAN, and BURWELL, ORP DD PIORUN, sloop FLEETSTONE, corvettes ARABIS, MALLOW, and VIOLET, and convoy rescue ship ZAAFAREN joined the convoy. FNFL DD LEOPARD was also involved in the escort of the convoy in Home Waters. DD BURWELL was detached on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Liverpool with the remaining escort ships on 2 April.

Med/Biscay
Hospital ship PO (FI 7289 grt) was sunk at Valona by five Swordfish of 815 Sqn flying from Paramythia.

Italian steamer SANTA MARIA was also sunk also by 815 Sqn a/c at Valona in this raid. The steamer was later salved and restored to duty. Lt Cdr J. De F Jago, Lt J. A. Caldecott-Smith, and Leading Airman P. N. Beagley in the lead plane were shot down. They were picked up by an ItalianMASboat and made prisoners of war

ANF.20 of five British and two other ships departed Alexandria late on the 14th escort DDs RAN STUART and RN HEREWARD and corvette SALVIA. CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria on the 15th to join the convoy. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 17th.

AS.19 of nine British, two Greek, and one other ship departed Piraeus escort DDs HOTSPUR and RAN WATERHEN and corvette HYACINTH. The convoy was dispersed on the 16th. HOTSPUR proceeded to Haifa. RAN DD WATERHEN and the fast ships proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 17th. Corvette HYACINTH and the slow ships proceeded to Port Said, arriving on the 19th.

RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VOYAGER were ordered to Alexandria from Piraeus and Force A, respectively. The DDs arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

Central Atlantic
Submarine OLYMPUS departed Gibraltar was part of the escort for convoy HG.54. The submarine returned to Gibraltar on 2 April in the convoy OG.54 escort.

Malta

 

[parsifal]

15 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-371

8 ships sunk, total tonnage 51,401 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 545 GRT
2 warships sunk, total tonnage 2,286 tons
Sunk at 0409hrs on 4 May 1944 in the Mediterranean NE of Bougie, by DCs from the US Des PRIDE, JOESEPH E CAMPBELL, FNFL DE SENEGALAIS and RN Hunt Class DD BLANKNEY 3 dead and 49 survivors.

Allied
Bar Class Boom defence vessels BARMILL (Z-67), BARRYMORE (Z-73)
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Motor Gun Boat MGB 70
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 202
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Losses
Steamer EMINENT (Be 500 grt) was sunk on a mine. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tug CHABOOL (RN 350 grt (est)), manned by Lt J. L. Mumford RNR and crewed by seven ratings from CL GLASGOW, departed Aden for Berbera. She was never found and all hands lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoys OB-294 and OB-292
Attacks by SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU on Convoy OB 294. DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU sank British ships from dispersed convoy OB.294, which had departed Liverpool on the 5th and dispersed on the 9th. Ships sunk included the following

Tkr BRITISH STRENGTH (UK 7139 grt) was sunk by SCHARNHORST. 2 crew were killed on the tanker. The rest were taken prisoner.

Tkr SIMNIA (UK 6197 grt) was sunk by GNEISENAU. The British motortanker SIMNIA was shelled and sunk W of the Azores. Three of her crew were killed and 54 were taken POW

Tkr SAN CASIMIRO (UK 8046 grt) was captured by GNEISENAU and then scuttled on the 20th. The Master and the gunners were taken prisoner. The rest of the crew remained on the tanker. On 20 March, when sighted by British aircraft and BC RENOWN, the tanker was scuttled by the German prize crew..

Steamer ROYAL CROWN (UK 4388 grt) by GNEISENAU. The entire crew were rescued.

Steamer MYSON (UK 4564 grt) by GNEISENAU. The entire crew were rescued.
[New image Source: http://www.uboatphotos.net/operation-berlin.html]

Steamer RIO DORADO (UK 4507 grt) by GNEISENAU. The entire crew was lost.

Tkr ATHELFOAM (UK 6554 grt) On a voyage from Liverpool to Pastelillo, in ballast, the vessel was intercepted by the DKM BC SCHARNHORST, and sunk by gunfire about 500 miles S.E. of Cape Race. 45 survivors taken P.O.W. on board of the raider. One crewman and one gunner were lost.

Tkr POLYKARP (Nor 6405 grt) was captured by GNEISENAU on the 15th, and reached the German-occupied Gironde on the 24th.

Tkr BIANCA (Nor 5688 grt) BIANCA left the Clyde on March 6 in Convoy OB 294, which was dispersed March 9, bound for Curaçao in ballast. On March 15 DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU attacked 4 tankers that had belonged to this dispersed westbound convoy, in approximately 40 30N 43 45W. The British SIMNIA tried to get away, while at the same time sending out a distress signal, but in doing so was targeted straight away. The other ships were BIANCA, the POLYKARP, and the British SAN CASIMIRO. The ships dispersed from Convoy OB 294 and intercepted by SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU, in addition to those already named above, were steamers MANGKAI, RIO DORADO, SILVERFIR, EMPIRE INDUSTRY, SARDINIAN PRINCE, MYSON, ROYAL CROWN, DEMETERTON AND CHILEAN REEFER, and the tankers BRITISH STRENGTH, ATHELFOAM and the Norwegian GRANLI. Escorts attached to the convoy composed of WOLVERINE, CHELSEA, CAMELLIA, ARBUTUS and VERITY (joined March 7). BEVERLEY had been detached on March 6 to return to Loch Ewe for boiler water.

BIANCAwas fired upon by GNEISENAU, the 3rd mate was injured (in his foot) by shrapnel which also caused some damages to the bridge, No. 11 tank, the radio room and one of the lifeboats. At first the crew left the ship in 2 lifeboats; the captain was ordered on board GNEISENAU. Having found out that BIANCA had enough bunkers to reach port, the crew were ordered back to the ship, whereupon a German prize crew of 15 was placed on board and course set for France, with red rectangles painted on her as a sign to German aircraft that she was a captured ship and had Germans on board. POLYKARP proceeded in a different direction but SAN CASIMIROheaded the same way as BIANCA.

Allied aircraft spotted BIANCAon March 19, and although the Germans quickly swapped the German flag for the Norwegian one, the RN BC RENOWN, covering a northbound Sierra Leone convoy (SL-67?) when notified of the situation by the recce a/ct, understood what the situation was and came to assist on the 20th. The Germans placed explosives in the engine room and pump room of BIANCAand opened all the valves, everyone having been ordered to the lifeboats, including 10 of the prize crew. The resulting fires were later extinguished by crew from Renown and the Norwegians ordered back on board. They closed all the deck valves, but the engine room had filled with water and the ship could not be saved. The captain, his wife and little son plus the entire crew were taken on board RENOWN before BIANCAsank. RENOWN searched for the captured SAN CASIMIRO which was found a couple of hours later, but was scuttled.

SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU continued their raid immediately after the capture of the above ships, and already the next day another, unescorted group of ships found themselves under attack, the Norwegian GRANDI being one of them. The 2 German battle ships were spotted that evening by BB RODNEY, but the German ships evaded the RN battlewagon and arrived Brest without further incident on March 22.

UBOATS
Departures
St Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 15 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
CL EDINBURGH and DD SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA departed Scapa Flow for Greenock for escort duty with convoy WS.7.

West Coast
Tug WARRIOR, towing Norwegian tanker FERNCOURT, was damaged on a mine at the entrance to River Cart in the Clyde. The tug beached at Renfrew. She was later refloated and taken to Glasgow for repair

Western Approaches
HX.112 was escorted by DDs WALKER, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, SARDONYX, and SCIMITAR and corvettes BLUEBELL and HYDRANGEA.

Channel
MSW BRITOMART was damaged by the LW in Rye Harbour. Two crewman were killed on board. She was escorted to Portsmouth by MSW SHARPSHOOTER and repaired there from 16 March to 29 May.

Monitor MARSHALL SOULT was damaged by the LW while berthed in Portsmouth Harbour, but remained in service.

Med/Biscay
Convoy GA.5 of five British and three Greek ships departed Pireaus for Alexandria and Port Said escort DDs DECOY and WRYNECK.


Steamer CINGALESE PRINCE departed this convoy on the 16th and joined ASW whaler SOUTHERN MAID for Tobruk to embark motor transport. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 17th.

British Force A arrived at Suda Bay to refuel at dawn on the 15th. DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN rejoined Force A. Force A departed Suda Bay later that day. During the night of 15/16 March, Force A covered convoys GA.5, ASN 20, and AS.19 passing through Kithera Straits.

Nth Atlantic
Responeses to the attacks on OB-294 and OB 292
Submarine THUNDERBOLT, which departed Halifax on the 10th, and AMC LACONIA of convoy HX.115 and SC.25 were sent to investigate. Submarine SEVERN, which departed Halifax on the 11th for Freetown, was also in the area. After unsuccessful searching, submarine SEVERN proceeded on her voyage to Freetown.

BB RODNEY, escorting convoy HX.114, detached and sent to search for the DKM raiders, sighted BC GNEISENAU which made off at high speed and no action ensued.

BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE were dispatched to the sth of Iceland to attempt to intercept the DKM BCs on the assumption they may attempt to run the Denmark Strait as they attempted to return home. CL NIGERIA located AMC ALAUNIA, en route to Reykjavik on the 16th. DDs BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE were sent to Reykjavik on the 17th to refuel after DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU rejoined the NELSON gp. DD BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE rejoined NELSON on the 18th.

The NELSON gp were joined on the 21st by BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, CA LONDON, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ARROW, ECHO, ECLIPSE, and ESKIMO which departed Scapa Flow on the 19th. BC HOOD departed Rosyth on the 18th and joined this force off Dunnett Head that morning. CA LONDON was detached after radio direction finding tests. CLs NIGERIA and EDINBURGH operated to the south of the BB gp. DD ARROW was detached to Londonderry to refuel on the 21st.

Submarine L 27 departed Portsmouth to attempt to intercept the German ships. Dutch submarine O.24 and Submarine OBERON departed Rothesay to patrol off Wolf Rock for the same purpose.

DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU were detached from the main body to refuel in Reykjavik. CL EDINBURGH and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA arrived in the Clyde on the 22nd. CL NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd. BB NELSON and DDs ACTIVE, BOADICEA, and ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow just after midnight on the 23rd.

BC HOOD, BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ESKIMO, and ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd.

Despite all these efforts to catch the German raiders, there was no success for the RN .

Central Atlantic
On 19 March, ocean boarding vessels HILARY and CORINTHIAN on Western Patrol were ordered to attempt to intercept the captured whale factory ships as they proceeded to French ports.

Sth Atlantic
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Simonstown.

Pacific/Australia
Convoy ZK.1 departed Brisbane with two coastal steamers escorted by AMC MANOORA. The convoy arrived at Port Moresby and Rabaul. In April and July and September, three more convoys were run.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 14 Friday
UNITED KINGDOM: The Clydebank Blitz: 203 German bombers bombed Glasgow and Clydebank, Scotland for the second night in a row, damaging shipyards and the Rolls Royce aircraft engine factory. As a result of the Clydebank Blitz, the town was largely destroyed and it suffered the worst destruction and civilian loss of life in all of Scotland. 528 people died, 617 people were seriously injured, and hundreds more were injured by blast debris. Out of approximately 12,000 houses, only seven remained undamaged — with 4,000 completely destroyed and 4,500 severely damaged. Over 35,000 people were made homeless. A total of 439 bombers dropped over 1,000 bombs. RAF fighters managed to shoot down two aircraft during the raid, but none were brought down by anti-aircraft fire. The bombers of 6./KG 55 lose a Heinkel over Gloucestershire, shot down by a Beaufighter from RAF No 604 Squadron and another crashing at Cherbourg airfield France during the return flight. 8./KG 55 raids Liverpool again and loses a Heinkel to a RAF night-fighter when it crashes at Le Bourget aerodrome in France.

The Leeds Blitz: The Leeds Blitz comprised nine air raids on the city of Leeds. The raid affected the city centre, Beeston, Bramley and Armley. The city was affected by other raids during the Second World War, but they were relatively minor; only the March 1941 raid caused widespread damage, including significant damage to the city's museum and its artifacts. Beginning just after 2100 hours, around 40 bombers took part in the raid on Leeds. Targets hit in the city centre included the Town Hall, the city's museum (then on Park Row), Leeds New station (now Leeds City station), the Kirkgate Markets, the Central Post Office, the Quarry Hill flats, the Hotel Metropole and the area now occupied by the Inner Ring Road. Around 100 houses were destroyed,4,600 sustained damage, and around 65 people were killed. In total 25 tons of bombs fell on Leeds during the raid, a quarter of the 100 tons often used as the threshold for a "major raid".

The British Admiralty placed an order for a new battleship (to a design by Sir Stanley Goodall) to be built at Clydebank, Scotland.

GERMANY: Battleship "Bismarck" began embarking supplies at Scheerhafen, Kiel.

RAF Bomber Command sends 101 aircraft to attack Gelsenkirchen overnight. The large British bomber raid on the German oil production area scored hits, temporarily halting oil production.

RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.

SOUTH PACIFIC: "Tatsuta Maru" arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii. Among the passengers disembarked was Kita Nagao, the newly appointed Japanese Consul General to Hawaii.

MEDITERRANEAN: Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with increased air support but little success. Seeing the Greeks had repeatedly repulsed Italian attacks in the past few days, Italian Chief of the Supreme Command General Ugo Cavallero recommended Benito Mussolini to halt the Primavera Offensive. On the same day, 5 British Swordfish torpedo bombers from Paramythia, Greece struck Vlorë, Albania, sinking Italian hospital ship "Po" and ship "Santa Maria" for the loss of one aircraft.

Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Tarigo" and "Freccia" and three torpedo boats.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Italian submarine "Emo" sank British ship "Western Chief " 250 miles south of Iceland, killing 22.

ASIA: The Battle of Shanggao: was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese 11th army attacked the headquarters of the Chinese 19th army. Fierce fighting broke out, and a series of bloody see-saw battles continued as both sides contested the position.

Japanese aircraft attacked Cheng-tu. Wong Sun-sui, flying an I-15III fighter, was shot down by a Japanese A6M Zero fighter over Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. He made a successful crash landing, but sustained fatal injuries. Cen Zeliu, flying an I-15III fighter, was shot down and killed by an A6M Zero fighter over Shuangliu Airfield, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.

NORTH AFRICA: Axis Convoy departs Tripoli for Naples with three vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Camina Nera", "Geniere", and "Folgore".

When the presence of the Italians on Mt. Gegghiro became known from the day before, 14th Battalion Foreign Legion was, therefore, ordered to capture the feature before first light. Mt. Gegghiro was captured by 0100 hours on 14 March, but the attack on Engiahat was not successful. One company of the 14th Battalion Foreign Legion, which was sent round the south-east flank, came under fire from the Italians and suffered very heavy casualties. A reconnaissance party of 4/16 Punjab found that the Italians were holding the ridge running west of Pt. 1967. A and C Companies of 4/16 Punjab were therefore sent up in the afternoon to occupy it. They went up the five-thousand-foot climb with good speed. A party of the Italians, which was trying to occupy a feature to the north-east of Pt. 1967, was surprised and withdrew to Engiahat. Pt. 1967 was then occupied by the Punjab troops. The Foreign Legion battalion occupied Mt. Gegghiro, while the artillery registered Engiahat.

NORTH AMERICA: Francis S. 'Gabby' Grabreski graduates from flight school.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 15 Saturday
MEDITERRANEAN: Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura without success.

Fighters of 7./JG 26 intercept a flight of RAF Wellington bombers south of Sicily. Oblt. Muncheberg destroys one of the bombers, watching it burst into flames after attacking from the ventral position.

Italian Navy's Special Weapons Section of 1a Flottiglia MAS, based at La Spezia in Italy, was renamed 10th MAS Flotilla, which served only as a cover name as the special forces function of the unit would not change. Prince Borghese was put in command of underwater units.

GERMANY: Battleship "Bismarck" received two aircraft at Scheerhafen, Kiel. Kriegsmarine cruiser "Admiral Hipper" departed Brest for Kiel via Denmark Strait.

RAF Bomber Command sends 21 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.

The American journalist Richard C. Hottelet was arrested by the Gestapo in Berlin on suspicion of spying.

NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: 15 March was D day for the main Allied attack on Keren. A difficult task lay ahead of the British and Indian troops for the Italians were not only numerically superior but they had also the advantage of terrain. They had, at Keren, thirty-three battalions (possibly thirty-four) including the Savoy Grenadier Division, the best troops in the whole of Italian East Africa, over one hundred and twenty guns and a larger number of mortars and machine guns. During the course of the battle they were to bring up another nine battalions. Against this the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions disposed between them nineteen battalions and about one hundred and twenty guns. In addition there was one squadron of "I" tanks (Matildas), but it could not be used until the road block was cleared. Though the Royal Air Force had gained local air superiority it was feared that the Italians would concentrate all their air strength to break it. The plan of operations, provided for a joint attack on Keren by the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions, the former to operate on the north and west of the road and the latter to the east of it. The artillery bombardment opened at 0700 hours, but as the leading troops went forward the Italian defensive fire caused a number of casualties. Heavy artillery and machine gun fire from Mt. Sanchil and Brig's Peak was directed against 2 Camerons, which nevertheless continued to advance slowly, with C Company directed on Brig's Peak and B Company on Sanchil. By 0815 hours, C Company almost got to the top of Brig's Peak but failed to drive out the Italians. However, B Company failed to make much headway in securing Sanchil. But, in spite of reinforcements, 2 Camerons failed to capture Sanchil and Brig's Peak. Savoy Grenadiers poured machine gun fire, mortars and grenades down the slopes. On the left of 2 Camerons, 1/6 Rajputana Rifles was directed on Hog's Back. The plan was for B Company to secure Hog's Back, on the capture of which A Company was to pass through to capture Bich Hill on the right. C Company was to move behind A Company. It was to be ready to assist A Company on to its objective and to capture Saddle. D Company was to be in reserve. The battalion came under defensive fire, which the Italians put down when the British guns opened up. It suffered several casualties even before crossing the start line. However, by 0830 hours, it was able to capture Hog's Back though not without suffering severe losses. At this time the Commander of the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade felt that the battalion could not attack Bich Hill and Saddle and ordered the battalion to consolidate Hog's Back. At 1030 hours, the Italians made a counter-attack on Hog's Back but it was repulsed. To the left of 1/6 Rajputana Rifles, 2/5 Mahratta attacked Italian defenses on Flat Top. The attack was launched in accordance and heavy defensive fire from the Italian artillery and mortars came down and caused considerable losses in all companies. The Commander of D Company and some of his headquarters men were wounded but the company continued to advance and seized its objective, the Slab Rock feature, without much difficulty at 0720 hours. A Company advancing behind D, passed Slab Rock on the west and moved on towards its objective. After hard fighting the company captured its objective by 1030 hours. C Company approached Flat Top from the southeast but was held up when only fifty yards from it. Further efforts were made to get into the position round the west flank but were unsuccessful. The casualties sustained by the two companies, engaged on Flat Top, were so heavy that the idea of advancing on to Mole Hill was given up and the companies were ordered to consolidate their position on Flat Top. At 1600 hours, the total strength of the two companies on Flat Top had been reduced to one British officer, two Viceroy's Commissioned Officers and thirty-four Indian other ranks. Italian sniping from Mole Hill continued until dark. The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade detailed 4/11 Sikh to capture Mt. Samanna which advanced from Pt. 1710 at 0700 hours to capture Left Bump. Then the other two companies moved on to their respective objectives – Middle Bump and Right Bump which were held by 1st Alpini Battalion, 10th Savoy Grenadier Regiment. By about 0830 hours, the second company had reached within 200 yards from Middle Bump but was held up by determined resistance. Meanwhile the third company pushed on to Right Bump but was held up about 400 yards from the top. 1st Alpini Battalion, which held these features, offered stubborn resistance and held up the advance of 4/11 Sikh. Further efforts to capture Middle Bump were unsuccessful. The company in front of Right Bump was withdrawn successfully and ordered to assist the attack on Middle Bump. This attack, supported by artillery, was put in at 1335 hours but failed. Plans were made to attack during the night using the reserve battalion, 3/1 Punjab. This proposal was not accepted by the Commander of the 4th Indian Division, and he decided to withdraw 4/11 Sikh from the area of Middle Bump. The situation at nightfall was that 4/11 Sikh had captured Left Bump, 'but had failed to secure Middle Bump and Right Bump. It had suffered about 120 casualties during the day. The 2nd Highland Light Infantry crossed the start line at 1030 hours in order to capture Pinnacle, White Rock Hill and Dologorodoc Fort. The leading company was unable to cross the road owing to very heavy Italian artillery and mortar concentrations, and also enfilade machine gun fire from the top and the eastern slopes of Sanchil. The remaining companies tried to capture Pinnacle and Razor Hill from the south. But no progress was made. At 1500 hours, it was decided that further progress by daylight was not possible. Another attack was planned for 1700 hours. Crossing the start line at 1700 hours, 3/5 Mahratta encountered strong opposition and reached Pinnacle, where a dogged fight ensued and the objective was not finally secured until 2000 hours. 3 Royal Frontier Force Regiment, less two companies, then passed through and captured Pimple at 0005 hours on 16 March.

Vichy government announces plan to complete rail line from Algeria to Dakar.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 15 Saturday continued
UNITED KINGDOM: Luftwaffe attacks London overnight with 101 aircraft. During the mission to London, a He 111 from Stab./KG 55 goes missing over England while a He 111 from 7./KG 55 crashes into the Channel.

Averell Harriman arrives by air via Lisbon as Roosevelt's special representative and immediately meets with Churchill.

NORTH AMERICA: US shipping company American Export Lines announced that it would stop taking orders from Lisbon, Portugal because there were too many refugees waiting in its ports.

Benjamin Kelsey was promoted to the war time rank of major.

At a crowded dinner of the White House Press Correspondents Association, President Franklin Roosevelt, in a trenchant speech that was beamed to Europe in fourteen languages, promised America would supply the needs of the British and Greeks with ships, planes, and food.

ASIA: The Battle of Shanggao: Japanese troops launched an offensive towards Shanggao, Jiangxi Province, China. Two divisions and a brigade of Japanese 11th Army, operating in three columns, open punitive attacks in northwestern Kiangsi province. Japanese 11th Army captures Fenghsin and pushes toward Tucheng and Kaoan. After the Chinese 19th army base was lost to the Japanese, a Chinese air strike destroyed Japanese food and ammo reserves, demoralizing the Japanese and stalling their attack on the Chinese troops, who used this opportunity to dig new defensive positions. The Chinese positions now contained some 100,000 troops, in three main defensive lines of trenches and concrete-supported bunkers. Even though the Japanese still clung on to the Chinese headquarters, the Japanese commanders were determined to achieve total victory by destroying or capturing all Chinese units, and to do this, it was necessary to breach the Chinese lines.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft to attack U-boat base at Lorient overnight.

Belgian politicians formed the cross-party resistance organization Independence Front at Liege.


German commander in the West Gerd von Rundstedt is replaced by von Witzleben.

Operation Savanna: The Allies began Operation Savanna, with the goal of landing Free French paratroops into German-occupied France to ambush and kill as many pilots of the Kampfgeschwader 100 as possible, a German Pathfinder formation stationed at Meucon airfield which spearheaded night raids on Britain. Setting off from an RAF Whitley on a moonlit night, five paratroops made a blind drop at midnight, landing some eight miles east of the town of Vannes (where the Pathfinder crew billeted), and five miles off target.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-124 made rendezvous with armed merchant cruiser "Kormoran" 650 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands and received 7 torpedoes and other supplies.

German submarine U-110 detected Allied convoy-112, consisted of 41 merchant ships escorted by 7 warships, and shared the finding with U-37, U-74, U-99, and U-100. Overnight, U-110 set British tanker "Erodona" on fire with a torpedo, killing 36, but she would be towed to Iceland for repairs.

U-105 and U-106 hounded Convoy SL.68 for a week off West Africa, sinking 7 ships and damaging battleship "Malaya".

German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" attacked convoys OB.295 and OB.296, 950 miles east of Nova Scotia, Canada, sinking 3 tankers (killing 7, most of the survivors were captured) and capturing 3 tankers.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 16 Sunday
WESTERN FRONT: Operation Savanna: The paratroops discovered the KG 100 pilots no longer commuted between Vannes and Meucon by bus, but had taken to travelling on an ad hoc basis by cars. Hence the grand ambush and assassination had to be aborted. Seeking to gain something from the mission, Captain Georges Bergé instructed his men to disperse and go on general reconnaissance and meet at Sables d'Olonne at the end of the month for extraction by sea.

NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: At Pinnacle and Pimple, the Commander of the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade ordered 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment to move up to the low ground between Pinnacle and Pimple, in preparation for the attack on Fort Dologorodoc. At 0400 hours, the Italians put in a strong counter-attack on Pinnacle and Pimple. This met the whole of the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade in line and was beaten off. On 11th Indian Infantry Brigade front, 1st Royal Fusiliers and 4/6 Rajputana Rifles attacked Sanchil and Brig's Peak respectively while the Italians launched strong counterattacks on 1/6 Rajputana Rifles at Hog's Back and on 2/5 Mahratta at Flat Top. In the Mahratta area, all the forward posts except one were recaptured by the Italians. This one post held on to the south-west edge of the position. A counter-attack by one Mahratta platoon was held up. Then a composite platoon from B Echelon put in another counterattack and, by 0515 hours on 16 March, had cleared the Italians from Flat Top at the point of bayonet. The Italian counterattack on 1/6 Rajputana Rifles at Hog's Back was less severe. The battalion held its ground until first light at 0500 hours on 16 March, when the Italians withdrew. At 0245 hours, the 1st Royal Fusiliers were about two hundred yards below the top of Sanchil. At 0430 hours they launched a vigorous attack to drive out the Italians from Sanchil. The attack progressed slowly against strong opposition. By 0600 hours, the forward elements of the Fusiliers managed to get through the wire on to the top, but were driven back. At 0750 hours, the Commander of the Fusiliers was wounded and the second-in-command was sent up to make a final effort for the capture of Sanchil. At 0015 hours, he reported that the Fusiliers were unfit to put in an attack on Sanchil as they had suffered heavy casualties, and the strength of the battalion at the time had fallen down to less than ninety men. Thus the Fusiliers had failed to drive out the Italians from Sanchil. 4/6 Rajputana Rifles attack on Brig's Peak was also not successful. Italian opposition was very strong and the Indian troops suffered heavy casualties. The leading elements could not get nearer than two hundred yards from the peaks. Another attack was put in at 0830 hours, using the reserves of the forward companies, but was no more successful. A further attack was arranged to take place at 1015 hours with air, mortar and machine gun. At 1005 hours, information was received that there would be no air co-operation, but that the attack was to go in at 1030 hours. It was, then, too late to change the original orders. Therefore, the attack was put in at 1015 hours, without support of any kind. It had not made much progress when it was brought to a halt by machine gun fire. On the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade front, no operations were undertaken. 4/11 Sikh consolidated its position on Left Bump. It was subjected to intermittent mortar and artillery fire. On the 5th Indian Division front, the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade consolidated the ground gained. Fort Dologorodoc had been occupied at 0615 hours by 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment. The Italian reaction to this success was violent. The first counter-attack on the Fort came at 1005 hours. Defensive fire was called for; artillery engaged the Italian assembly area and the attack was broken up. The next attack came not long after. At about 1150 hours, a large number of Italians were observed to be forming up to the east of the Fort, evidently for a counter-attack. Two field regiments engaged the target and the Italians were scattered. In view of the impending counter-attack, air support, in the form of two fighter aircraft for strafing ground targets was arranged and the guns of both divisions were laid on. When, after all, the attack did develop at 1330 hours, it was repulsed. Although there were no further counter-attacks during the day, the troops holding the Fort were constantly shelled and sniped by the Italians who had complete observation of the area from Sanchil, Zeban and Falestoh. At 1300 hours, A and C Companies 4/16 Punjab attacked Engiahat, preceded by artillery fire. The Italians put up a strong resistance. The attacking companies reached the lower slopes of Engiahat, but then ran out of ammunition and had to withdraw. Meanwhile 1st Royal Sussex had failed to make any progress on the Pt. 2084 ridge. The capture of Engiahat became difficult. On its spurs the Italians had constructed a series of fortified positions nearly a mile in depth. The only approaches to it were along two narrow ridges not permitting more than six men to pass at a time.

In British Somaliland, 2 Indian battalions (1/2 Punjab and 3/15 Punjab) conducted an amphibious landing at Berbera. The port was defended by only 60 Italian troops (Italian 70th Colonial Brigade), who surrendered without resisting.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 16 Sunday continued
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" attacked an Allied convoy 950 miles east of Nova Scotia, Canada between 0428 and 1550 hours, sinking or capturing 10 ships. Danish ship "Chilean Reefer" sent distress signals and returned fire with her deck gun, and was sunk by "Gneisenau's" 11-inch shells, killing 9. British battleship HMS "Rodney" received the distress signals. "Gneisenau" was sighted by "Rodney" which requested identification of the German ship. The "Gneisenau" replies "H.M.S. Emerald" and escapes.

German bombers sank British anti-submarine trawler HMT "Lady Lilian" and damaged HMT "Angle" 85 miles west of Ireland.

German submarine U-106 sank Dutch ship "Almkerk" 220 miles off the coast of Gambia, British West Africa. The entire crew of 66 survived the attack and took to 2 lifeboats, and all would survive.

The United States Navy begins escorting US merchant ships bound for Britain.

MEDITERRANEAN: Primavera Offensive: The Italian Spring Offensive ended in complete failure for the Italians. The Italian Primavera Offensive was called off after only 8 days as the Italians had suffered 12,000 casualties. After seven days assaulting Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura, Italian 11th Army and having suffered heavy losses for no significant gain, Mussolini suspends the offensive for three days.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Vivaldi", "Malocello", and "Da Noli" and two torpedo boats.

British submarine HMS "Parthian" damaged Italian steamer "Giovanni Boccaccio" 50 miles east of Malta.

UNITED KINGDOM: 162 German bombers attacked Bristol, England overnight, targeting the docks at Avonmouth and the city center; 257 were killed, 391 were wounded.

ASIA: The Battle of Shanggao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area withdrawing as Japanese 11th Army advances.

Wong Sun-sui passed away from wounds sustained during the aerial engagement two days prior at in Sumatou district, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.

GERMANY: Hitler gave a Heldengedenktag speech (memorial service for German war dead) at the Berlin Zeughaus, reviewing Germany's battlefield performance over the past twelve months and declaring that England would be defeated. Adolf Hitler predicted that the United Kingdom would fall by 1942;

"Behind us lies a Winter of work. What remained to be improved has been done. The German Army is now the strongest military instrument in our history. In the months of this Winter our allies bore the brunt of the whole power of the British attack, but from now on German forces again will resume their share of this load. No power and no support coming from any part of the world can change the outcome of this battle in any respect. England will fall. The everlasting Providence will not give victory to him who, merely with the object of ruling through his gold, is willing to spill the blood of men. Germany demanded nothing of England and France. All of the Reich's denunciations, its disarmament and peace suggestions, were vain. International finance and plutocracy want to fight this war to the finish. So the end of this war will and must be its destruction. Then may Providence find a way to lead their people, from whom the chains will be struck, into a better order! When England and France declared this war, England immediately began a fight against civil life. To the blockade of the World War, that war against women and children, it added this time air and fire war against peaceful villages and cities. In both of these modes of war England will be defeated. The air war that Churchill started will destroy not Germany but England itself. Just so, the blockade will not strike Germany but its inventor."

A fire broke out on the docked German ocean liner SS "Bremen", causing such extensive damage that the ship would be scrapped. Initially thought to be the work of raiders, the arsonist was later said to have been a cabin boy avenging a punishment.

.

 

[parsifal]

16 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
S-boat S-42
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML 172
[NO IMAGE]

Losses
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU continued their attacks on convoy OB-204 and OB292 on the 16th. OB.292. The latter had departed Liverpool on 27 February and dispersed 6 March. Surviving ships managed to transmit the 'RRR' raider warnings and the BCs fled to the safety of Brest in accordance with German policy to minimise risks by avoiding actions with vessels of equal or superior category.

Steamer SARDINIAN PRINCE (UK 3491 grt) by SCHARNHORST. The entire crew were taken prisoner.

Steamer MANGKAI (NL 8298 grt) by SCHARNHORST. Some of the crew were taken prisoner.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer SILVERFIR (UK 4347 grt) by SCHARNHORST. One crewman was lost. Rest were taken prisoner.

Steamer EMPIRE INDUSTRY (UK 3721 grt) of OB.292 by GNEISENAU. The entire crew as taken prisoner.
[New image source: http://www.uboatphotos.net/operation-berlin.html]

Steamer GRANLI (Nor 1577 grt) of OB.292 was sunk by GNEISENAU 300 miles east of Newfoundland. The entire crew was captured, GRANLI's crew spent 3 days at a camp near Brest before they were sent by train to Fallingbosten via Paris, Cologne and Hanover, a journey taking 6 days. The camp had about 6000 prisoners of misc. nationalities, Belgian, French, Polish and Yugoslavian. After about a month they were transferred to another camp near Triers, but were retuned to Fallingbosten a month later, then spent another month there before being sent to Sandbosen. 2 weeks later, GRANLI's crew, together with other Scandinavian seamen, were sent to Bremen where they spent 6 days at a hotel, then via Hamburg, Flensburg, Helsingör and Gothenburg they arrived Oslo, Norway. Before they were "freed" they were taken to Akershus fortress where they had to sign contracts promising to serve on Norwegian ships under German control, whereupon they were given a 2 weeks holiday. They were told, however, that if they did not show up in Oslo for service at a stipulated time, punishment would be severe. Several seamen went into hiding, were caught and duly tortured and imprisoned .

Able Seaman Anders Lunde went home to his parents where he decided not to show up in Oslo after his 2 weeks vacation were up. He stayed in hiding for several weeks, then escaped to Shetland with a fishing vessel. He was intently questioned by the Allied authorities
(New Image source: Operation Berlin )

Steamer DEMETERTON (UK 5251 grt) by SCHARNHORST. The entire crew was taken prisoner.

Independent steamer CHILEAN REEFER (UK 1739 grt) by GNEISENAU. Seven crew and two gunners were lost from the steamer. Three crew were taken prisoner. The rest were rescued by British ships. Steamer CHILEAN REEFER was able to send off an SOS which was picked up by BB RODNEY. RODNEY turned convoy HX.114 over to battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN, which was in the area in transit, and made for the position of the SOS
[New Image Source: Operation Berlin ]

ASW trawler LADY LILIAN (RN 581 grt) was sunk by the LW 150 miles SW of Bloody Foreland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ELNA E. (Nor 1174 grt) was sunk on a mine 18 miles SW of Lundy Is. One crewman was lost on the steamer.

RN Sub PARTHIAN torpedoed steamer GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO (FI 3141 grt) near Palmi. The submarine claimed hitting a second ship, but did not.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Off the West Coast of Africa, U.106 sank steamer ALMKERK (NL 6810 grt). The entire crew of 66 survived. On 16 March 1941, U-106 was pursuing convoy SL-68, when the unescorted ALMKERK, enroute from Perth, Australia to Avonmouth carrying wheat, crossed the path of the convoy and the U-boat. U-106 attacked the unescorted ALMKERK hitting near the bridge with two torpedoes fired from a distance of about 500 metres at 1636 and 1637 hrs. The ship sank by the stern about 15 minutes later, witnessed by the ships of the convoy. One lifeboat was picked up by the British steamer MARTAND on 18 March. The other boat landed in Vichy-French Guinea. After some time in captivity, the lifeboat was allowed to depart for Freetown, where it arrived on 30 March.

Convoy HX-112
'''HX 112''' was an important convoy of the HX series and saw heavy losses for both sides. It was notable in that it saw the loss of a further two Uboat Aces with the capture of Ottoe Kretschmer and the death of Joachim Schepke.

HX.112 was an east-bound convoy of ships which sailed from Halifax 1 March 1941, bound for Liverpool. Many of the ships in HX.112 were tankers carrying vital fuel oil to Britain.

Escort was built around Escort Gp-5 which consisted of two DDs, and two corvettes, and was led by Cdr Donald McIntyre in the DD WALKER. 5th Escort Group had also been reinforced by an additional two destroyers, in view of the importance of the cargo, and met the convoy as it entered the Western Approaches

On 15 March 1941 HX.112 was sighted by commanded by Fritz Lemp in U-110, who sent in a sighting report and commenced shadowing the convoy. He was joined throughout the day by four other boats; ''U-99'' (Kretschmer), ''U-100'' (Schepke), U-37 (Clausen) and U-74 (Kentrat)

On the night of 15/16 march U-110 initiated an attack against a tanker, which was heavily damaged, At roughly the same time 'U-100' was able to torpedo a tanker, which burst into flames, but also survived to reach port; all other attacks that night were frustrated by the activities of the escorts who once again displayed excellent teamwork covering each others ASDIC blind spots and relentlessly attacking all contacts.

Keeping up with the convoy on the surface during the day, the pack tried again as night fell on the 16th. 'U-99' managed to penetrate the convoy from the nth, on its port side, and sank four tankers and a freighter in under an hour. Remaining with the central column of the convoy she sank another freighter 15 minutes later before making her getaway.

Meanwhile, the escorts, searching for U-boats outside the convoy perimeter, found Type VIIB U-100 (DKM 741 grt) around 1.30am moving in on the surface. She dived, but HMS WALKER attacked with a DC pattern at close range. U-100 was damaged to the point that she was forced to the surface where she was sighted and rammed by DD 'VANOC just after 0300 hrs. Schepke was killed when VANOC sliced through the conning tower of the U boat. 'U100' went down with most of her crew.

As this was happening, Type VIIB U-99 (DKM 741 grt) was making her escape; she nearly collided with a DD in the dark and dived. Picked up on WALKLER's ASDIC, she was depth-charged and severely damaged. Kretschmer blew U-99s ballast tanks to brink the sinking U-99 to the surface where she was fired on by the encircling warships. U-99 was sunk, but Kretschmer and most of his crew were saved, to be taken prisoner.

There were no further attacks on HX.112 and the convoy arrived in Liverpool on 20 March

U.110, in three attacks on convoy HX.112, heavily damaged British tanker ERODONA in the Western Approaches. 32 crew and 4 gunners were lost. The ship was abandoned but then was towed to Edisvik near Reykjavik on the 30th. The after end of the tanker was lost. The ship left Reykjavik in tow in 1942 for Blyth. She was repaired and returned to service, but not until February 1944.

U.99 attacked convoy HX.112, escorted by DDs WALKER, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, SARDONYX, and SCIMITAR, and corvettes BLUEBELL and HYDRANGEA. U-99 attacked the convoy several times and sank or damaged a total of 5 ships,

Tkr FERM (Nor 6593 grt); Fully loaded with a cargo of fuel for Britain and with a crew of 35 aboard, the FERM caught fire after she was torpedoed. All crew members abandoned ship and were picked up by Covette HMS BLLUEBELL. The still floating tanker was taken in tow the next day, but she sank in on 21 March.

"U-Boats inside the Convoy: U-99 on the Surface Having Torpedoed the Tanker FERM",by John Alan Hamilton (1919–1993) IWM (Imperial War Museums)

Tkr BEDUIN (Nor 8136 grt) with a full load of petrol and a complement of 34, the BEDUIN was hit by one torpedo aft of the pump room and later broke in two. The forepart was shelled and sunk by an RN armed trawler on 19 March, while the afterpart was taken in tow by the tug OLAVES on 18 March but sank two days later. On 18 March, 20 survivors were picked up by the British steam trawler RIVER AYR and landed at Thorshavn the next evening. Ten others were put ashore at Fleetwood by the Icelandic trawler MILMIR on 23 March. Four crew from tanker BEDUIN
was lost.

U-99 attacked and damaged British tkr FRANCHE COMTE (. Corvette BLUEBELL stood to the damaged tkr. Her fires were brought under control and the tkr arrived at Rothesay Bay on the 21st.

Tkr VENETIA (UK 5728 grt) was sunk. The entire crew of tanker VENETIA were rescued by corvette BLUEBELL.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer J. B. WHITE (Cdn 7375 grt) was sunk by U-99. One crewman was lost and one crewman was missing on the Canadian steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

 

[Njaco]

March 17 Monday
NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: As the British and Indian troops in the forward line had suffered heavy casualties it was necessary to employ fresh troops for launching another attack. On the 4th Indian Division front, the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade was ordered to break through between Brig's Peak and Mt. Sanchil. The Commander of the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade planned to carry out the operation in two phases. In the first phase, 3 Royal Garhwal Rifles was to capture Sanchil and 4/10 Baluch on the left was to capture Brig's Peak. In the second phase, 2nd Highland Light Infantry was to attack the col between Sanchil and Brig's Peak and break through on to the Keren plain. On the 5th Indian Division front, the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade was to consolidate its position in the Fort area and the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade was to attack forward of the Fort and capture Falestoh Ridge. The concentration of the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade in the area of the Fort prior to the attack was very seriously delayed. The climb up the Hill was very difficult, the track being narrow and having large quantities of cable laid across and along it. 1st Worcestershire Regiment miscalculated the time needed to get to its start line and was one and a half hour late. The last battalion did not reach the Fort area until 0100 hours. The zero hour for the attack was, therefore, changed to 0230 hours. The artillery fire in support of the attack opened at 0230 hours. 1st Worcestershire Regiment made good progress and by 0730 hours had established itself a hundred yards to the south of Pt. 1552, on Falestoh Ridge. All attempts to get to the top of Mt. Falestoh were, however, unsuccessful and the battalion suffered heavy casualties--23 killed, 55 wounded and 7 missing. On the left, 3/2 Punjab made some progress. D Company, not being fired at from M.G. ridge (a small feature immediately below the Fort), moved on. Hardly had it gone 800 yards when it met the Italians in a strong position just east of a small nullah. They were attacked at once by D Company and by the two other companies following (C and A Companies) from the right and the left. Although Italian machine guns on the flanks caused heavy casualties, the attack was pressed home with determination and the position was captured. At 0600 hours, the Italians put in a counter-attack on the forward positions. This was repulsed. In order to help in repulsing this counter-attack, B Company 6 Royal Frontier Force Rifles was ordered to move up on the left flank. The ground over which it had to pass was swept by machine gun fire from Sanchil and Railway Bumps. The company, however, rushed across this area and eventually captured forty prisoners. Its own losses were three killed and five wounded. The advance of the forward companies was held up by heavy machine gun fire from M.G. ridge. B Company, in reserve, engaged the Italians in position on M.G. ridge and the machine gun fire from this ridge was neutralized by Bren and mortar fire. The advance on Zeban was resumed again. By 0730 hours, the forward troops had reached the bend in the track. Further advance was held up by heavy fire from Zeban Minor. This situation remained unchanged until 1300 hours. As no fresh troops were available to carry on it was decided to withdraw the forward troops to less exposed positions after dark. At 1900 hours, B Company 6 Royal Frontier Force Rifles was counter-attacked again. This was a very strong effort by the Italians, but the Company fought gallantly and held its ground at the cost of over a third of its total strength. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the Italians also, and the attack was finally repulsed. The withdrawal started at 2300 hours and the 1st Worcestershire Regiment moved back to a position on the slope south-east of the Fort (Big Rock area). The movement was covered by 3/2 Punjab, which retired to a position about 800 yards in front of the Fort. Meanwhile, to conform with the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade operations, the attack by the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade was so timed that the leading troops would reach their objectives about 0330 hours. 3 Royal Garhwal Rifles was led by guides provided by 1st Royal Fusiliers to within one hundred and fifty yards of the top of Sanchil. The attack was launched at 0300 hours with D Company on the right and B Company on the left, C Company being in reserve. Although the troops fought well the advance was held up by heavy machine gun fire from Brig's Peak and by grenades and mortar fire. A dogged fight continued until 0700 hours but no progress was made. The Garhwalis suffered heavy casualties. Meanwhile 4/10 Baluch too had not made much progress. The attack was met by heavy machine gun and mortar fire and could not get nearer than three hundred yards from the objective. At 0530 hours, the Italians put down defensive fire, artillery and mortar, and inflicted severe casualties. Under their accurate fire it became difficult to get the wounded away. The forward companies were withdrawn to about a third of the way from the Brig's Peak feature at 0700 hours. Throughout the day the two forward battalions, 3 Royal Garhwal Rifles and 4/10 Baluch were subjected to heavy fire. By the evening, it was clear to General Platt that the attack had failed and that the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade would have to be withdrawn. He, therefore, decided to withdraw the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade, leaving the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade to hold on to Hog's Back and Flat Top. The withdrawal was carried out during the night without incident (2nd Highland Light Infantry remained on Cameron ridge until withdrawn on the night of 18/19 March).

Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel sent a message to the besieged Italian garrison at Giarabub in southeastern Libya, asking the troops to hold on for a few more weeks and promising that his forces would arrive in relief in that time.

British 11th African Division captured Jijiga, Abyssinia, Italian East Africa unopposed. Jijiga in Ethiopia fell to British forces which had started off from Kenya and pressed through Italian Somaliland. The British now had reached a point about a thousand miles from the Kenyan border in just five weeks.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 17 Monday continued

ASIA: The Battle of Shanggao: Japanese 11th Army advanced toward Haulintsai and Shangfutsun. The Japanese attacked the first of the three Chinese defensive lines, but were repeatedly turned back by the dug-in troops and their heavy machine-gun fire. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties that day.

GERMANY: Battleship "Bismarck" departed Kiel, arriving at Gotenhafen on the same day.

RAF Bomber Command sends 58 aircraft to attack Bremen and 21 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German armed merchant cruiser "Kormoran" and submarine U-124 made rendezvous with cruiser "Admiral Scheer" 1,150 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands. U-124 transferred quartz aboard "Admiral Scheer" for her radar. Although planned, the transfer of torpedoes from "Kormoran" to U-124 was canceled due to rough seas.

German submarines U-99 and U-100 attacked Allied convoy HX-112 250 miles southeast of Iceland. U-99 sank 2 freighters and three tankers, while damaging another tanker. German submarine U-100 became the first submarine to be tracked by radar. At 0318 hours, destroyers HMS "Walker" and HMS "Vanoc" depth charged U-100, forcing her to surface, then HMS "Vanoc" rammed U-100. As U-100 sank, 38 were killed, including commanding officer Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke. At 0343 hours, HMS "Walker" dropped 6 depth charges on U-99, killing 3 and forcing her to surface from heavy damage. U-99 was scuttled by her crew. 6 U-100 and 40 U-99 officers and men were captured by the British, including U-99's commanding officer Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer.

German submarine U-106, after tracking Allied convoy SL.68 for the past two days, struck 250 miles west of Dakar, French West Africa at 2107 hours, sinking British ship "Andalusian" and Dutch ship "Tapanoeli".

US Coast Guard cutter "Cayuga" delivered American representatives to Greenland in search of suitable locations for bases.

Kriegsmarine S-boats driven off convoy FN 33 by RN destroyers. RN anti-submarine vessel "Mollusc" sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

WESTERN FRONT: Frenchman Francois Scornet, 22, became the only civilian to be executed by firing squad in Jersey of the Channel Islands throughout the German occupation. Scornet was one of 16 young Army Cadets who had fled France in a small boat with the intention of joining the Free French forces in England. Lost in rough weather, they sailed into Guernsey, Channel Islands believing it to be the Isle of Wight and were captured. As an example to other escapees, Scornet was picked out as the ringleader and shot. After the war his remains were reinterred in his home village in Brittany, France.

UNITED KINGDOM: 162 planes of the Luftwaffe bombed the Avonmouth district of Bristol.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Lustre : New Zealand 4th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens by sea from Egypt.

.

 

[Njaco]

March 18 Tuesday
NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: Between 18 and 22 March the Italians attacked Fort Dologorodoc no less than seven times. These attacks were beaten off and the British and Indian troops fought with courage and determination. The 29th Indian Infantry Brigade had withdrawn from the area of Falestoh and Zeban early in the morning. At 0230 hours, the Italians made a counter-attack from the direction of Railway Bumps and Falestoh. It was directed on the Fort and 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment had to bear the brunt of the attack. By first light, the attack had been beaten off and the Italians suffered several casualties in the fighting.

Erwin Rommel departed North Africa for a meeting with Adolf Hitler.

British Swordfish torpedo bombers of Fleet Air Arm 830 Naval Air Squadron based in Malta bombed the harbor at Tripoli, Libya; 1 Swordfish aircraft was shot down, with its crew of 2 taken prisoner.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler met with Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Jodl, and Erich Raeder. Raeder urged Hitler to convince Japan to attack Singapore and recommended Hitler to reveal the plans of the Soviet invasion to Japan.

Battleship "Bismarck" entered the Baltic Sea for trials.

RAF Bomber Command sends 99 aircraft to attack Kiel and 44 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.

Germany centralized all coal mining and distribution.

MEDITERRANEAN: British bombers attacked Vlorë, Albania, sinking Italian torpedo boat "Aldebaran".

British armed boarding vessel "Rosaura", carrying Italian prisoners of war, hit a mine and sank off Tobruk, Libya. 14 crew, 5 guards, and 59 Italians were killed.

British Foreign Minister Eden consults with Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Saracoglu.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-105 attacked Allied convoy SL-68 west of Senegal, French West Africa at 0400 hours, sinking British ship "Medjerda", killing the entire crew of 52 and 2 gunners.

German armed merchant cruiser "Kormoran" transferred 7 torpedoes to submarine U-124 1,050 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands.

German 1st S-boat Flotilla (with 6 motor torpedo boats) raided shipping on the east coast of England, sinking French ship "Daphne II" off the Humber Estuary.

UNITED KINGDOM: Luftwaffe attacks Hull overnight with 378 aircraft.

The French government-in-exile in Britain established a central bank.

RAF fighter pilot Douglas Bader was promoted to the rank of wing commander with RAF Nos.145, 610, and 616 Squadrons at Tangmere.

NORTH AMERICA: US and Canada declared a joint defense pact, which included cooperation in ship building efforts on the Great Lakes.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 19 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight.

ASIA: The Battle of Shanggao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area successfully attacks detachment of Japanese 11th Army around Kuchuao and Huamenlo.

.

 

[parsifal]

16 MARCH 1941 (Part II)
Losses (Cont'd)
U.99 sank steamer KORSHAMN (SD 6673 grt) from convoy HX.112 in the early hours of the 17th. 26 crew were lost on the Swedish steamer.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U_552

At Sea 16 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, UA,

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Waters
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow after convoy escort duties with convoy HX.112.

West Coast
DD ANTHONY while under repair at Glasgow was damaged by the near miss of a German bomb.

Convoy OB.298 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers CHELSEA, MANSFILED, VANITY, VERITY, VETERAN, and WOLSEY, and corvette ARBUTUS. Destroyer VANITY was detached on the 28th. On 18 March, destroyers HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HURRICANE joined. The escort was detached on the 20th when the convoy was dispersed.

Corvette AUBRETIA, en route from Greenock to Londonderry, was damaged in a collision with British trawler GOOSANDER. The corvette was repaired at Dundee from 21 March and completing on 7 April.

Western Approaches
ASW trawler ANGLE was damaged by the LW 150 miles SW of Bloody Foreland. The trawler arrived Belfast in tow on the 22nd.

Med/Biscay
Fce A was unsuccessfully attacked by two RA torpedo planes at dusk west of Elaphonisos, 30 miles west of Crete. The Italian bombers reported hitting two large units, "probably battleships". No ship was hit.

CLA BONAVENTURE was detached from CruSqn 3 to arrive at Alexandria on the 18th. CV FORMIDABLE departed Alexandria for exercises on 16 and 17 March escorted by DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, and HASTY. DD ILEX joined the carrier from Force A. TG returned to Alexandria on the 17th.

RAN DD VOYAGER departed Alexandria escorting British troopship ULSTER PRINCE and armed boarding vessel ROSAURA to Tobruk.

Central Atlantic
In air operations in the Atlantic, Sub Lt (A) D. M. Ferguson RNVR, and Sub Lt (A) J. K. M. Watt of 818 Sqn from ARK ROYAL were lost when their Swordfish failed to return from patrol. Corvette ASPHODEL arrived at Gibraltar with two steamers formerly of convoy SL.67. Corvette DELPHINIUM departed Gibraltar for Freetown en route to Simonstown and the Eastern Mediterranean

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CLs GLASGOW and CALEDON, DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON, armed boarding vessels CHAKDINA and CHANTALA, RIN PVs NETRAVATI and PARVATI, motor launch ML.109, and two transports landed troops brought from Aden at Berbera in Operation APPEARANCE (recapture of Berbera).

Malta

 

[parsifal]

17 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS KAMLOOPS (K 176)

Flower Class Corvette HMS DIANTHUS (K 95)

Fairmile B ML 218
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
ASW yacht MOLLUSC (RN 597grt) was sunk by the LW 2.5 miles 115° from Blyth Port War Signal Station. There were no casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.106 made attacks on convoy SL.68 summarised as follows.

Steamer ANDALUSIAN (UK 3082 grt) was sunk off West Africa The entire crew of the steamer were rescued.With a complement of 42, and enroute from Freetown to the UK west coast ports with a full load of cocoa beans, the ANDALUSIAN was attacked between 2107 and 2110 hrs on 17 March 1941 by U-106 , who fired fourfi four single torpedoes at ships in the convoy SL-68 about 110 miles east of the Cape Verde Islands and claimed three ships with 21,000 grt sunk and another with 7000 grt damaged after hearing four detonations, although only one hit could be observed in the very dark night. In fact, only two ships, the TAPANNOELI and ANDALUSIAN i were hit by one torpedo each and sank.

ANDALUSIANwas struck on the port side by the third torpedo fired by the U-boat while steaming at 6 knots and preparing to carry out an emergency turn after they had witnessed the hit on TAPANNOELI. The ship immediately listed heavily to port at an angle of approx. 40° and began to settle by the head. The crew of 40 men and two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and three machine guns) abandoned ship in two lifeboats in a moderate to rough sea about 15 minutes after being hit and without sending a distress signal or firing rockets as everything had been thrown into confusion on the bridge. ANDALUSIAN had slowly righted herself to a list of about 10° before being abandoned and was last seen well down by the head and water pouring over her deck amidships, but she apparently sank about 2215 hrs because flares from rafts that floated free were seen at that time. Afterwards the survivors saw the silhouette of a merchant vessel nearby that was evidently trying to locate the lifeboats in the darkness, but was seen to leave after two burst from a machine gun were heard. Fearing being targeted by the U-boat the occupants in the boat in charge of the chief officer crouched low under cover. The lifeboats had lost contact to each other as soon they were launched and the starboard boat in charge of the master with 23 occupants hoisted sail and steered towards Bathurst, but after making about 130 miles they were picked up by the Portuguese steam passenger ship NYASSA and landed at Funchal. The port boat with the chief officer and 18 men remained on the scene until daylight and then encountered the lifeboats from TAPANNOELI, exchanging greetings and directions to the Cape Verde Islands with them. They reached Boa Vista on 19 March, but were unable to find a suitable landing place and rode to a sea anchor for the night before trying to land on a sandy beach in the afternoon of 20 March. The boat was swamped by the very high surf, but all hands jumped clear and pulled the boat in. They removed all gear and made a camp to dry their clothes and blankets, eat some food and rest. The following morning two parties went to search for habitation and they soon found settlers, who were very hospitable and brought the survivors on donkeys to an anchorage 10 miles away, where they boarded the Portuguese steam merchant VINTE E OITO MAIO and found some of the Dutch survivors they had met earlier already on board. The ship brought them to St. Vincent on 23 March after proceeding to San Nicholas to pick up survivors from the British steam merchant CLAN MACNAB which had also been in SL-68 and foundered after a collision with the Norwegian motor tanker STRIX on 17 March.

Steamer TAPANOELI (NL 7031 grt) was sunk off the West African Coast by U-106. The entire crew of 65 was rescued. She was enroute from Batavia to UK via Fretown when lost, fully laden with tea, tapioca flour and vegetable seeds. TAPANOELI was armed with one 4.7in and one machine gun, and was hit on the port side by the first torpedo fired by the spread of four fish fired by U-106 t while steaming at 7 knots in a moderate sea. The explosion destroyed the forecastle, collapsed the port bridge wing, blew off the hatch covers and scattered parts of the cargo all over the ship. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats after stopping the engines and sending a distress signal as the ship began to quickly settle by the bow, sinking about 20 mins after being abandoned. Due to a misunderstanding between the chief officer and the master the confidential documents had been left behind in the cabin of the latter. The boats remained at the sinking position until dawn the following morning and then set sail towards the Cape Verde Islands. On route they encountered a lifeboat from ANDALUSIAN and exchanged greetings and directions with the other survivors. The next night one of the lifeboats got separated from the others and made landfall on Boa Vista on 19 March. Its occupants were joined two days later by the British survivors they met earlier. The Portuguese steam merchant VINTE E OITE DE MAIO brought them to St. Vincent on 23 March after proceeding to San Nicholas to pick up survivors from the British steam merchant CLAN MACNAB, which had also been in SL-68 and foundered after a collision with the Norwegian motor tkr STRIX on 17 March. On St. Vincent the crew of TAPANOELI was reunited as the other two lifeboats had made landfall there on 21 March.

The submarine attacked two other steamers in the convoy without success.

Steamer EINAR JARL (Nor 1858 grt) was sunk on a mine in in the Nth Sea. One crewman was lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
U-48

At Sea 17 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, UA,

11 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by sloop KITTIWAKE and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE, laid minefield BS.51 off the East coast of England.

During the night of 17/18 March, DD CATTISTOCK in convoy FN.33 off Lowestoft unsuccessfully attacked DKM S Boats. DDs VESPER and COTTESMORE were also in the escort.

British steamer CORMEAD was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. British pilot cutter PIONEER was damaged by the LW at B 3 Buoy, Thames Estuary

Northern Patrol
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON, and PORT QUEBEC of the 1st ML Sqn, escorted by DDs ST MARYS,LANCASTER, CASTLETON, and CHARLESTOWN departed Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN.69. Cover was provided by CLs AURORA and GALATEA which departed Scapa Flow on the 17th. BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ACTIVE, ESCAPADE, COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI operating south of Iceland supported the operation. The mines were laid on the 19th. The ships arrived back on the 20th.

Northern Waters
RAN DD NESTOR, and RN DDs WHADDON, and ERIDGE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to escort BC HOOD to Scapa Flow. The four ships departed Rosyth on the 18th for Pentland Firth, where the BC joined the battle fleet at sea and the DDs were detached to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 19th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.99 in the Pentland Firth providing cover until convoy EN.68 A was met. At 0500/18th, the ship transferred to convoy EN.68 A and remained with it until its arrival in Pentland Firth. CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th.

West Coast
OG.56 departed Liverpool escort sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes ERICA and SNAPDRAGON, and AASW trawler ST KENAN. On 18 March, the convoy was joined by DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, SALADIN,SALISBURY, and VIVIEN and corvette CLARKIA. DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, SALADIN,SALISBURY, and VIVIEN were detached on the 21st. on the 22nd, corvette CLARKIA and trawler ST KENAN were detached. SubmarineOLYMPUSjoined the convoy on the 26th. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 2 April, escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes ERICA and SNAPDRAGON, and submarine OLYMPUS.

Med/Biscay
RAN CL PERTH, and RN CLs AJAX, and ORION departed Alexandria carrying troops as convoy AG.6 A to Piraeus. The cruisers arrived at Piraeus on the 18th.

CL GLOUCESTER was recalled from the Aegean to Alexandria, arriving on the 18th. DD GRIFFIN departed Alexandria for Haifa for escort duty in convoy MW.6.

Nth Atlantic
HX.115 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC CALIFORNIA, DD ST CROIX, and corvette ORILLIA. The DD and the corvette were detached the next day. BB KGV and submarine THUNDERBOLt joined the escort on the 20th and were detached on the 28th. The AMC was detached on the 28th. DDs READING, SABRE, and VENOMOUS, sloop WELLINGTON, and corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP joined on the 29th. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 April.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BN.20 departed Aden, escort sloop AUCKLAND. DD KINGSTON joined on the 18th. Both escorts were detached on the 21st. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 25th.

BM.5 departed Bombay with steamers NEURALIA and DEVONSHIRE, escorted by AMC HECTOR from 17 to 20 March, CL EMERALD joined on 20 March and was detached on the 23rd. CL DURBAN joined on the 22nd.

Steamers JALAKRISHNA and JAPAPADMA departed Bombay on the 16th and proceeded independently with lorries, petrol, ordnance, and other stores for the personnel in convoy BM.5. The convoy arrived at Singapore on the 25th.

Pacific/Australia
US TG 9.2 with CLs BROOKLYNandSAVANNAH and DDs CASE, CUMMINGS, SHAW, and TUCKER arrived at Auckland for a three day goodwill visit. The USN ships sailed on the 20th and arrived at Tahiti on the 25th. They departed Tahiti on the 27th and returned to Pearl Harbour

Malta

 

[parsifal]

18 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Fairmile B ML 198
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U.105 sank steamer MEDJERDA (UK 4380 grt) from convoy SL.68, off the coast of West Africa. There were no survivors from the crew of 39. At the time of her loss the ship was enroute from Sierre Leone to Middlesborough via Freetown with a full load of iron ore. At 0418 hrs the unescorted MEDJERDA, a straggler from convoy SL-68, was hit on the starboard side underneath the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-105and sank after breaking in two within 30 seconds of being hit about 90 miles east of the Cape Verde Islands.

DKM 1st SBoat Flotilla with S.26, S.29, S.39, S.55, S.101, and S.102 sortied against British shipping in the North Sea. Steamer DAPHNE II (UK 1970 grt), was in convoy FN-34, when she was torpedoed by S-102 and badly damaged, off the Humber. The ship was taken in tow and beached south of Bull, however the ship broke in two and sank.

Liner BREMEN (Ger 51, 731 grt) was lost due to a fire followed by an explosion whilst tied up alongside Bremerhaven. The fire was deliberately lit, after a cabin boy was boxed on the ears by a Petty Officer, to avenge his humiliation the boy started a fire in one of Bremen's storerooms. The fire quickly became uncontrollable and the ship rolled over, onto the jetty. She was scrapped where she lay. There is no record of the fate of the cabin boy.

The burnt out Bremen, lying against a quay in Bremerhaven

Steamer WIDAR (Ger 5972 grt) sank when she truck a mine in the River Ems estuary
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: UA

Departures
Bergen: U-551
Lorient: U-69

At Sea 18 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551
12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
BC HOOD, refitting at Rosyth since 13 January, departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow.

Northern Patrol
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow for Icelend. The cruiser refueled in Iceland and patrolled in the Denmark Strait with two AMCs. The cruiser returned to refuel at Reykjavik on 27 to 29 March.

Northern Waters
CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow on escort duties. The cruiser arrived back on the 22nd.

Western Approaches
RM submarine EMO attacked British steamer CLAN MACIVER with no effect.

Med/Biscay
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, GREYHOUND, and HAVOCK arrived at Alexandria. GLOUCESTER embarked General Blamey, Commanding the AIFCorps, and 1087 troops. The cruiser departed Alexandria, escorted by DD HASTY, for Piraeus.

Convoy AG.7 of Armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA, supply ship BRECONSHIRE, three Greek, and one other ship departed Alexandria, escorted by CL CARLISLE and RAN DD VOYAGER and RN DD WRYNECK. Troopship ULSTER PRINCE embarked Army personnel at Tobruk and joined the convoy on the 19th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus late on the 20th.

Convoy AN.21 of seven British, four Greek, and two other ships departed Alexandria escort DDs DECOY and RAN DD WATERHEN and corvette HYACINTH. CLA COVENTRY joined the convoy from Suda Bay.

On the 21st, British tkr MARIE MAERSK, formerly of AG.5 and joined from Suda Bay, was damaged by RA bombing off Crete. Six crew were killed, eight missing, and four were taken prisoner of war. RAN DD WATERHEN put a party aboard the ship and got the fire under control. The tkr was brought into Suda Bay under her own power by an RN navigating party, escorted by ASW trawler AMBER. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 22nd.

Convoy AS.20 of one British, one Greek, and four other ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA, RAN DD VENDETTA, sloop GRIMSBY, and one RHN DD. Enroute, VENDETTA attacked a submarine contact. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 21st and Port Said on the 22nd.

Armed boarding vessel ROSAURA (RN 1552 grt), the ex French DIEPPE, was sunk on a mine 146° from Mersa Tobruk. Fourteen crew, including P/T/Surgeon Lt J. F. Roberts RNVR, five military guards and 59 prisoners of war were lost.

Image of the ROSAURA, taken in 1917 when she was the DIEPPE, and serving as a hospital ship

Swordfish of 830 Sqn attacked Tripoli Harbour from Malta. A Swordfish was shot down and its crew of A/Sub Lt (A) D. Grant and Leading Airman W. E. J. Thomson were made pows. They were repatriated in November 1942.

Three Albacore aircraft from 826 Sqn from aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE operating ashore torpedoed Italian steamer LABOR and destroyed two lighters at Buerat el Hsur. The steamer was able to arrive at Tripoli on the 19th. One Albacore and its crew of Sub Lt J. J. C. Coe and A/Sub Lt C. P. Bailey were lost.

Spica Class TB ALDEBARAN (RM 640 grt) struck a mine and sank at Valona. Some sources say this loss occurred on the 20th March

Central Atlantic
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU refueled at sea 300 miles NW of the Azores from tankers ERMLAND and UCKERMARK. Approximately 400 pows were transferred to the supply ships.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Convoy BS.20 departed Suez, escorted by sloop CLIVE. The sloop was detached the next day. On the 21st, sloop AUCKLAND joined, on the 22nd, CL CAPETOWN; both were detached on the 25th when RAN sloop PARRAMATTA joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 26th.

Pacific/Australia
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore. CL DIOMEDE damaged her port propeller while passing through the Panama Canal.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 19 Wednesday
UNITED KINGDOM: 370 German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed London, England, killing 750. Several freighters and auxiliary anti-aircraft ship "Helvellyn" were sunk or damaged in London docks.

Mass-produced vegetable casseroles went on sale in Britain for 8 pence per pound.

NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: Italian General Lorenzini was killed on the 5th Indian Division Front. At 0400 hours, the Italians again made an attack. It was carried out by 10th Alpini Battalion which had assembled in the depression of the valley to the west of the Fort. From there, two companies moved towards the Fort while one went round the north to the Hill. They could get to within seventy yards of the Fort and were driven back. The Italians reformed and made a more determined effort. They were repulsed again, and this time pursued with bayonets and grenades. They abandoned two pack guns, some mortars and machine guns. A regrouping of British and Indian forces on Mt. Dologorodoc was ordered. The various features in the Dologorodoc area were to be held by two brigades. The 9th Indian Infantry Brigade was to be responsible for holding the Fort and ridges four to six hundred yards north of it. The 29th Indian Infantry Brigade was to be responsible for the protection of both flanks. The 29th Indian Infantry Brigade was ordered to pull back and take over this area.

GERMANY: Erwin Rommel met with Adolf Hitler, Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch, and Chief of Staff General Franz Halder. Rommel was told to expect no reinforcements in Libya until May, when the German 15th Panzer Division would be assigned to him. Rommel was denied permission to launch a German counteroffensive in North Africa.

Adolf Hitler gave Prince Paul of Yugoslavia an ultimatum, asking him to join the Tripartite Pact within five days, or face invasion.

RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-105 sank Dutch ship "Mandalika" of Allied convoy SL-68 350 miles west of Nouakchott, Mauritania, French West Africa. 3 were killed and 62 survivors were rescued by British corvette HMS "Marguerite".

German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" began their return voyage to Brest, France.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Lustre : Australian 16th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens from Egypt as does General Blamey.

Italian 11th Army, spearheaded by the Sienna Infantry Division, mounts new attacks against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Saetta", "Fulmine", and "Baleo".

Four ship Allied convoy MW 6 departs Egypt for Malta with heavy escort including light cruiser HMS "Carlisle", aircraft carrier HMS "Formidable" HMS "Barham", "Valiant" and "Warspite", with the cruisers "Glouchester" and "York".

.

 

[parsifal]

19 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Submarine Tender USS OTUS (ARG 20)

Allied
Fairmile B ML 190
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steamer BENVORLICH (UK 5193 grt) was sunk by the LW from convoy OB.298 in the Western Approaches. Four crew and one gunner was lost on the steamer. The survivors were rescued by convoy rescue ship ZAMALEK.

U-106 continued her attacks on the Convoys in the Central Atlantic. She attacked Convoy SL-68 again on this day

U-106 sank Steamer MANDALIKA (NL 7750 grt) off the coast of West Africa. The steamer had a complement of 61, of which 3 were lost and a full cargo of sugar. She was transporting her cargo from the NEI to the UK west coast. The details of the attack are that between 0024 and 0029 hrs, U-106 fired torpedoes at the convoy SL-68 from within the convoy columns and reported two ships sunk and another probably damaged. However, only the MANDALIKA was hit on the port side near the engine room by one torpedo. The crew abandoned ship in several lifeboats as the ship slowly sank about 100 miles NE of Cape Verde Islands. The survivors were picked up by Corvette MARGUERITE (K 54).

Steamer CLAN MACNAB (UK 6076 grt) was lost in convoy SL.68 when she collided with Norwegian motor tanker STRIX . The STRIX was damaged but could sail on whilst the MACNAB sank the following day. 14 people lost their lives.

Steamer LEO (Nor 1367 grt) was sunk by German bombing 75 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis (Nth of the Hebrides). She was 1 of 2 ships, out of a total of 31 ships, lost from Convoy EN86A, though she had detached as ordered nth of the Butt of Lewis and was headed to Icleand with food and coal when lost. The entire crew was rescued by destroyer ECHO.

UBOATS
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-95

Departures
U-76

At Sea 19 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

11 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
The London docks were hit again by the LW in a large scale raid on the night of 19/20 March. British steamer NAILSEA MEADOW was damaged by the LW at Victoria Dock, London. Two crew were lost. The ship was struck by a bomb in the afterpeak tank. British steamer TOTTENHAM was damaged on a mine in the Southend Anchorage.

The ship was damaged by a near mine explosion. The ship was towed to Gravesend on the 20th. During the night of 19/20 March, British steamers TELESFORA DE LARRINGA was bombed and damaged. One crewman was killed on the TELESFORA DE LARRINGA. British Steamer LINDENHALL was damaged by the raid on Victoria Dock, London. LINDENHALL caught fire and sank, but was not a total loss, she was drydocked at Millwall on 23 April. She returned to service

Steamer JUNO (UK 642 grt) was heavily damaged by the LW attack on the Surrey Commercial Dock. The steamer was considered a constructive total loss. She was being converted to a Thames AA ship at the time of her loss.

Northern Waters
DD LIDDESDALE departed Scapa Flow to meet British steamer AMSTERDAM off Aberdeen and escort her to Lerwick. The ships departed Lerwick on the 20th. The DD lost touch with the steamer in bad weather during the night and returned to Scapa Flow on the 21st.

CL KENYA, relieved Force H escorting convoy SL.67. The CL arrived at Greenock on the 31st.

West Coast
Convoy OB.299 departed Liverpool, escort DD MONTGOMERY. On 20 March, DDs CHESTERFIELD, VANITY, and WANDERER, sloop WESTON, and corvettes NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE joined the escort. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 24th.

A Roc of 760 Sqn crashed near North Cadbury in air firing practice exercises, killing all of the crew.

Western Approaches
Dutch tanker MAMURA was lightly damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The tanker was able to continue to Halifax.

Med/Biscay
RHN DD AETOS reported being unsuccessfully attacked by RA torpedo bombers north of Candia.

Submarines UTMOST and URSULA departed Malta to patrol the east Tunisian coast. Submarine TRUANT fired torpedoes at a barge at Buerat el Sun. The torpedoes missed and passed underneath Italian tanker LABOR without doing damage.

T/A/Sub Lt (A) R. C. Kay and Leading Airman D. R. Stockman were killed when their Fulmar of 805 Sqn from Maleme was shot down over Suda Bay on the 19th.

Operation MC.9
British operation MC.9 began on the 19th (re-supply operation for Malta). British steamers CITY OF MANCHESTER, CLAN FERGUSON, andPERTHSHIRE departed Haifa escort DDs HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN and steamer CITY OF LINCOLN departed Alexandria escort DD GREYHOUND as convoy MW.6. The convoy was designated Force C. CLA BONAVENTURE joined the convoy escort on the 20th. CLA s COVENTRY, CALCUTTA, and CARLISLE and DD HAVOCK joined Force C on the 21st

On 20 March, BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, JAGUAR, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, ILEX, HERO, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria as Force A.

The convoy was also covered by CA YORK, RAN CL PERTH, CLs ORION, GLOUCESTER, and AJAX and RAN DD STUART, and RN DDs HEREWARD and HASTY, HEREWARD joined after refueling at Suda Bay. This gp, designated Force B, rendezvoused with Force A on the afyernoon of the 21st. The DDs of Force B also joined Force A.

Exercising following her refitting, destroyer DEFENDER was damaged by splinters from a near miss of an air bomb off Dellimiara Point, Malta, on the 21st.

Force A parted company with the convoy on the 22nd to stay out of the range of Axis bombers. A Fulmar of 809 Sqn ditched near the Fleet whilst flying top cover over the convoy. Lt A. J. E. Howey and Leading Airman L. J. Stevens were rescued by DD JERVIS.

CLAs COVENTRY and CARLISLE detached from the convoy somewhat later on the 22nd and proceeded to Alexandria.

Force B and destroyers MOHAWK and NUBIAN covered Force C from the northward during the night of 22/23 March. DD DEFENDER departed Malta at 1945 to join Force B during the night (now heading back to join Fce A. Convoy MW.6 arrived safely at Malta on the 23rd. Force B with DD DEFENDER rejoined Force A during the morning of 23 March.

Force C and the convoy were attacked by the LW at Malta on the 23rd. British steamers PERTHSHIRE and CITY OF LINCOLN were damaged. CLA BONAVENTURE was damaged on her port bow by splinters from near misses. One rating was killed and seven were wounded. DD GRIFFIN was damaged by a near miss which holed her forward fuel oil tanks but with no casualties.

Force B and destroyers ILEX and HASTY parted company with Force A to cover Force C. The cruisers and destroyers of Force C departed Malta at 1930 that day. At 1930, DD HEREWARD departed Force B to join Convoy AN 22 on the 24th.

Force C and Force B merged at 0730/24th and proceeded to the Aegean. CLA CALCUTTA and DDs ILEX and HASTY arrived at Port Said on the 24th. Force B covered convoy AN.22 from west of the Kithera Channel. Force A arrived back at Alexandria at 2230/24th.

CLA BONAVENTURE and DDs GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK from Force C proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 25th. The cruiser carried a replacement propeller shaft and bracket bearing for cruiser CARLISLE. CA YORK and CL GLOUCESTER arrived at Suda Bay during 25 March. CLs ORION, PERTH, and AJAX and DD ILEX remained in the Aegean to cover convoy AN.22 and AS.22 on the 25th.

Central Atlantic
BB MALAYA, escorting convoy SL.68 with AMC CANTON and corvettes CALENDULA, MARGUERITE, and CROCUS, was torpedoed in the bows by U.106 on the 20th. The submarine thought she had torpedoed a merchant ship.

BB MALAYA in 1941

DDs FORESIGHT and FORTUNE were ordered to join the damaged BB. DDs FEARLESS and WRESTLER of the group intending to join ARK ROYAL and RENOWN were ordered to return to Gibraltar. On the 21st, DDs FEARLESS and FORTUNE departed Gibraltar to join, but soon they and DDs FORESIGHT and FORTUNE were ordered to return to Gibraltar.

BB MALAYA was escorted towards Trinidad by corvette CROCUS, which was detached on the 23rd. The battleship arrived at Trinidad on the 29th. Subsequently, MALAYA arrived on 6 April in New York for repairs.

German tanker NORDMARK replenished DKM raider KORMORAN sth of the Cape Verde Is.

DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to meet CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN which had been relieved in convoy SL.67 by CL KENYA.

Submarine OTUS arrived at Gibraltar after departing Portsmouth on the 8th. The submarine had been refitting at Portsmouth in February completing on the 1st.

Malta

 

[Njaco]

March 20 Thursday
NORTH AFRICA: Battle of Keren: RAF attacks against Italian positions at Keren.

Australian 2/9th Battalion attacks Jarabub oasis in southern Libya.

Indian troops captured Hargeisa in Italian-occupied British Somaliland.

EASTERN EUROPE: Joseph Stalin was assured by this staff that Germany would not attack the Soviet Union until United Kingdom was defeated. Meanwhile, the United States shared the intelligence of a possible German invasion of the Soviet Union with Soviet Ambassador Konstantin Umansky. The knowledge was acquired by methods which could not be revealed to the Russians. U.S. Signal Intelligence Service analysts had predicted "a German attack on the U.S.S.R. within two months". The estimate came from a reading of top secret Japanese diplomatic messages, primarily the dispatches to Tokyo from Baron Oshima, the Japanese ambassador in Berlin.

The Yugoslavian cabinet voted 16-3 to accept Hitler's proposals and join the Tripartite Pact. In a meeting of the Royal Council it becomes clear that Regent Paul is ready to agree to Hitler's demand that Yugoslavia join the Tripartite Pact and allow free passage of German troops. Rather than accepting dictated German terms, four Yugoslavian ministers resigned their posts.

British agents kidnapped the pro German leader Milan Stoyadinovich and spirited him away to Greece to eliminate his influence in the political turmoil of Belgrade.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler appointed Alfred Rosenberg the Delegate for Central Planning for Questions of the Eastern European Area.

Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Heß, Fritz Todt, Reinhard Heydrich, and other top Nazi German official met in Berlin, Germany to discuss plans for resettling Eastern Europe with Germans.

Erwin Rommel received Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" were detected by aircraft of the British Coastal Command. They were met by German aircraft at 1900 hours, escorting them as they headed for Brest, France. Meanwhile, two ships that they had captured 5 days prior, tankers "Bianca" and "San Casimiro", were spotted by British aircraft from carrier HMS "Ark Royal". Battleship HMS "Renown" would advance in an attempt to recapture. The German crew scuttled both tankers before surrendering themselves along with the 46 prisoners of war aboard the two ships.

Kriegsmarine mine vessel "Sperrbrecher-12" sunk by RAF Coastal Command aircraft.

German submarine U-106 damaged Dutch ship "Meerkerk" of Allied convoy SL.68 and escorting battleship HMS "Malaya" 550 miles west of Nouakchott, Mauritania, French West Africa at 2323 hours. HMS "Malaya" received temporary repairs at Trinidad and then was sent to New York Naval Yard in the US for permanent repairs which would last for four months.

UNITED KINGDOM: King George and Queen Elizabeth visited Plymouth, England, where they took tea with Lady Nancy Astor, the first woman to take a seat in the commons. The local people took the Royal visit as a "gala day" with bands and dancing on the Hoe, but no sooner had the Royal party departed 125 German bombers appeared overhead causing great damage to the docks (sinking British tug HMS "Sir Bevois" (9 killed), tug HMS "Elan", and transport "Mari II") and city centre.

WESTERN FRONT: A flight of three Manchester bombers from RAF Waddington in England set out to bomb German submarines at Lorient, France. Less than thirty minutes into the mission one aircraft developed an engine fire which forced its captain to order the crew to abandon the stricken aircraft. Four crewmen jumped but only two survived and two others were killed. The pilot (with one other crewman still aboard) then attempted to bring the aircraft home but in attempting to land struck a tree and crashed, killing both airmen. Aircraftsman Charles Leonard Wheatley, seeing that the fire threatened to explode the high-explosive bombs still aboard, bravely fought the fire, from only two yards away, and successfully prevented any further damage to the base. For this gallant action Wheatley would be awarded the George Medal from the King on 4 Nov 1941.

RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft on minelaying operations off Brest, Lorient, and St Nazaire overnight.

NORTH AMERICA: "Tatsuta Maru" arrived at San Francisco, California, United States. Among the disembarked passengers was Colonel Hideo Iwakuru, who was dispatched by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to Washington DC to help the Japanese Embassy in reconciling relations with the United States.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian 11th Army conducts another unsuccessful attack against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura. Lead elements of Allied troops -- NZ 19th Battalion -- begin digging in at the Aliakmon Line.

ASIA: The Battle of Shanggao: Japanese 11th Army crosses Chin River at Huifu and attacks 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area around Kuanchiao and Szehsi.

.

 

[parsifal]

20 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc U-562
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS JULIET (T-136)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Requisitioned FV DOX (RN 35 grt) was sunk by the LW at Plymouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Requisitioned FV GLOAMING (RN 21 grt) was sunk by mining in the vicinity of Burcom Shoal off the Humber.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Naval drifter SOIZIC (RN 72 grt) was lost to unspecified causes
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tug SIR BEVOIS (UK 338 grt) was sunk by the LW at Plymouth. 9 crew were lost from a complement of 14.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer CIESZYN (Po 1386 grt) was sunk by the LW 3 miles from Manacle Point. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

FV JOAN MARGARET (UK 25 grt) was lost on a mine in the vicinity of Cleeness Lightfloat, River Humber with the loss of 5 crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

FV BIANCA (UK 174 grt) was sunk in the Irish Sea when she picked up a German aerial torpedo or bomb in her nets. Five crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Hulk MACKAY BENNETT was sunk by Gthe LW at Plymouth, however the vessel was refloated on 26 July and docked on 28 July for repairs.

Tug ELAN II was sunk by the LW at Plymouth, but she was refloated about 1 October 1941.

Tug CHARLIGHT was damaged by near misses off Le Bas Wharf, Milwall.

British steamer MARI II was damaged by the LW near Plymouth. The ship was sunk, however she was refloated on 27 June and repaired at Plymouth.

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-97

At Sea 20 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

12 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Submarine STURGEON unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Obrestad. The postwar claim she sank Norwegian tanker DRAFN whilst under German control off Stadlandet is incorrect.

Northern Waters
CA SUFFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow after completing repairs from her April 1940 bombing. One turbine was still defective, but this was rectified and she underwent full power basin trial on the 26th.

West Coast
OB.300 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ACHATES and BOREAS, corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, and PICOTEE, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. The escort, less the DDs, was detached on the 25th. The DDs were detached on the 26th when the convoy was dispersed.

Channel
DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE laid minefield GU in the English Channel.

Med/Biscay
RHN submarine TRITON made unsuccessful attacks on a steamer and a TB off Valona. This was possibly German steamer BRUMMER and TB ALTAIR.

Nth Atlantic
SC.26 departed Halifax, escort AMC WORCESTERSHIRE, submarine PORPOISE, and escort ship COBALT. The escort ship was detached later on the 20th, the submarine on the 29th, and the AMC on 3 April. On 3 April, DDs VETERAN and WOLVERINE joined the convoy. On 4 April, DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, and VIVIEN and corvette CONVOLULUS joined. This group, which joined on 4 April, was detached on 5 April and DD HAVELOCK and sloop SCARBOROUGH joined on 5 April. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 April.

Central Atlantic
British tanker SAN CASIMIRO and Norwegian tanker BIANCA, captured by DKM BC GNEISENAU on the 15th, were sighted by Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL aircraft. The tankers were scuttled by the German prize crews when approached by BC RENOWN.

U-106 attacked the shadow of a merchant ship with a spread of two stern torpedoes in bad light from the port side of the convoy SL-68 about 250 miles WNW of the Cape Verde Islands. U-106 detected hits on her hydrophones after 2 minutes 37 seconds and 3 minutes 35 seconds. One torpedo damaged the BB MALAYA and the other the Dutch MV MEERKERK. The MEERKERK was only slightly damaged by the torpedo and returned to Freetown under own power. She left Freetown in late April 1941 with the survivors of ALMKERK on board, which had been sunk on 16 March by U-106 and arrived in Oban on 3 May

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
BN.22 departed Bombay, escort AMC ANTENOR. The escort was detached on the 26th. On 31 March, sloops AUCKLAND and RIN INDUS joined. Sloop FLAMINGO joined on 1 April and CL CAPETOWN and DD KINGSTON on 2 April. CL CAPETOWN and DD KINGSTON were detached on 3 April, FLAMINGO and INDUSon 4 April, and AUCKLAND on 7 April when the convoy arrived at Suez

Pacific/Australia
USN CAs CHICAGO and PORTLAND and DDs CLARK, CONYNGHAM, REID, CASSIN, and DOWNES arrived at Sydney, Australia on a three day goodwill visit. They departed on the 23rd and arrived at Brisbane on the 25th. Departing on the 28th, they arrived at Suva, Fiji, on 1 April. The American force departed Suva on the 3rd and arrived back at Pearl Harbour on 10 April

Malta