This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

Sorry Gentlemen, did not notice your time line restrictions. Being parochial had only thought in terms of the US involvement

June 8 Sunday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-69 was unsuccessfully attacked by a British Sunderland aircraft as she approached St Nazaire. U-69, commanded by Kapitän-Leutnant Jost Metzler arrived in St Nazaire later that day to a huge welcome having spent 65 days at sea, and covered 7,680 nautical miles. Metzler had made, at the time, the longest voyage ever undertaken by a Type VIIC, and had demonstrated the feasibility of operating long-range mining missions, tied up British naval resources and sank at least seven ships.

GERMANY: Germany experienced the largest RAF bombing raid thus far with 360 aircraft. RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft to attack Dortmund overnight.

In a supplement to Hitler's Commissar order of two days ago, the OKH directs that political commissars shall be summarily shot.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): The Free French forces commanded by General Legentilhomme, number 6,000 infantrymen, with 8 guns and 10 tanks supported by 24 aircraft. The remainder of the forces are one Australian division, a cavalry and two infantry brigades. and the support of about 60 aircraft. The Vichy forces under General Dentz comprise 18 regular battalions with 120 guns, 90 tanks and as many aircraft; in all more than 45,000 men. Allied forces totaled 34,000 troops - 5,000 Free French; 9,000 British; 18,000 Australian, 2,000 Indian troops. Commonwealth and Free French forces in northern Palestine crossed the border into southern French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon. The Free French promised the counties full independence for their co-operation. The Allies make no progress on the coastal axis at the Litani Bridge, or on the central axis. But mostly the Allied advance continues to make good progress. Tyre, Marjayoun and El Quneitra are all taken in the advance from Palestine. In the drive from Transjordan Dera'a is taken. The Free French contingents pass through (as planned) up the desert road towards Damascus. A planned landing of 420 commandos from the British No. 11 (Scottish) Commando was to conduct an amphibious raid in an attempt to secure a crossing on the Litani River for the Australian troops, but bad weather delayed their arrival by sea.

60 RAF aircraft take part in the Invasion of Syria. The first operations are raids on the French airbase at Rayak. 80 Squadron RAF Hurricanes are ordered to destroy the Martin 167 Maryland bombers of French 39 Squadron, 1st Bomber Group (GBI/39), which had just arrived at Rayak and by this time had started bombing British columns approaching Quneitra. Next, 5 Tomahawk fighters of the Australian 3rd Fighter Wing raided Rayak, where the French ground defenses took them for French planes because this was the first time they had seen the Tomahawk. Between them they claim six aircraft destroyed on the ground. 803 Squadron FAA lose three Fulmar fighters against French Dewotine D520 fighters. Plt-Off Roald Dahl (80 Squadron RAF) claims a Potez 63 shot down into the sea. French ace Sous-Lt Pierre Le Gloan shoots down a 208 Squadron RAF Hurricane, his first victory of the Syrian campaign and his 12th of the war.

Captain Moshe Dayan, of the Palestine Regiment, leading a section of the Allied attack, receives an eye injury when a stray bullet hits his binoculars. He was a company commander in the Palmach. His company was acting as scouts for the Allied forces.

French destroyers "Valmy" and "Guépard" bombarded Allied troops in the Litani River area, but they were driven off by New Zealand cruiser HMNZS "Leander" and British destroyers HMS "Janus", HMS "Hotspur", HMS "Isis", HMS "Jackal". The French opened fire at 17,000 yards and "Janus", responded at 15,000 yards. At 10,000 yards "Janus", was rapidly hit by five rounds. Everyone on the bridge, other than the captain, was killed and both boilers were put out of action. "Janus", lost steering and power. Fortunately for "Janus", French accuracy deteriorated after this. "Jackal" came up and the French ships retired in a running gun battle. "Janus", had to be towed but a fire broke out, which burned for a day. "Janus", was towed to Haifa, where the fire was eventually extinguished. "Janus", was out of action until March 1942.

NORTH AMERICA: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy and Chico Marx stage the first Hollywood "camp show" at Camp Roberts near Paso Robles, California.

En-route to Rio Hato, Panama, for a training flight from France Field, Panama in an OA-46A aircraft, Corporal R. Stubbs of Haverhill along with Augustus J. Allen of Myrtle Springs, Texas and Staff Sergeant James D. Cartwright of Los Angeles are lost when their plane goes down.

NORTH AFRICA: After two German air raids on Alexandria, Egypt, which had killed 400 people, 40,000 residents were evacuated from the city.


NORTHERN EUROPE: German troops begin arriving in Finland.

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June 9 Monday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-46 sank British ship "Phidias" in the North Atlantic with the deck gun in the early hours of the day; 8 were killed, 43 survived. German submarine U-101 sank British ship "Trevarrack" in the North Atlantic at 1835 hours; 45 survived the attack in 3 lifeboats, but they were never found.

GERMANY: At Berchtesgaden, Germany, Adolf Hitler issued the summons for his top military leaders to gather for the final planning meeting for Operation Barbarossa. Hitler issued Directive No. 31, German Military Organization in the Balkans. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/31.html

MEDITERRANEAN: MV "Leaving", (RN landing barge SD15), arrived at Sidi Barrani. The vessel was stolen from the Germans in Crete, and was sailed across the Mediterranean by a crew of Australian and English soldiers. An Italian submarine intercepted the barge two days out from Crete and removed the officers. Although ordered by the Italians to return to the island, the intrepid band made sails from blankets, and continued their voyage to freedom.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): As the British commando raid to secure crossings on the Litani River in French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon had been delayed by weather, Australian troops crossed the river in canvas boats. British troopship "Glengyle" (escorted by destroyers HMS "Ilex" and "Hero") departs Port Said, Egypt, and lands 420 British Commandos who aid Australian troops in crossing the Litani River in canvas boats and capturing Vichy French positions. 2/16 Aust Bn cross the river under fire and secure the far bank by the afternoon. By 0130 hours next morning engineers have built a pontoon bridge across the river. Further off the coast, French submarine "Caiman" attacked British cruiser HMS "Phoebe", but without success. The Allies were able to secure several strongpoints on the opposite shore of the Litani River by the end of the day. On the central axis, Australians capture Fort Khiam after a sharp bombardment, but can make no progress towards Merdjayoun. Gloster Gladiators of 'X' Flight RAF begin operations from Amman, flying patrols over Free French troops on the road to Damascus. General de Verdilhac (Vichy Dep C-in-C) orders II/6 Battalion French Foreign Legion and 6th Chasseurs d'Afrique (armoured) to assemble in Nahr el Awaj area for counter-attack.

NORTH AMERICA: The plan for a joint U.S. Army-Marine Corps invasion of the Azores in the event that German invades Spain and Portugal is suspended when intelligence sources learn that Germany has no intentions to invade the Iberian Peninsula.

President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8773, authorizing the Secretary of War to take over the striking North American Aviation plant in Inglewood, California. The president explained in a statement that the work stoppage could not be allowed to continue because it had created a situation that was "seriously detrimental to the defense of the United States."

UNITED KINGDOM: The United Kingdom established a national Fire Service Council, with 1,400 local brigades being merged in to 32 regional ones.

During a low level Jabo attack on a shipping convoy off Portland, Oblt. Werner Machold of 7./JG 2 flying a Bf 109E "White 15", is damaged by anti-aircraft fire from a Royal Navy destroyer and crash lands near Swanage, Dorset. He is captured and spends the rest of the war as a POW. The Ritterkreuz holder ends the war in captivity with thirty-two victories.

WESTERN FRONT: The funeral of ex-kaiser Wilhelm II was held in Doorn. Although Hitler had wanted a state funeral in Berlin with himself in a prominent role, Wilhelm's family insisted on respecting instructions he'd given in 1933 that he was to be buried in Doorn if Germany was not a monarchy at the time of his death. However, a delegation of Nazi officials led by Arthur Seyss-Inquart was allowed to attend as well as a Wehrmacht guard of honour, and Wilhelm's wishes that Nazi regalia not be displayed at his funeral were ignored.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on coastal sweep.

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June 10 Tuesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: British steamship "Royal Scot" hit an acoustic mine and sank in the Humber estuary on the eastern coast of England while escorting Thames/ Forth coastal convoy FN447. Patrol vessel HMS "Pintail" arrived to assist, but also struck a mine, sinking immediately; 55 were killed aboard "Pintail", 22 survived.

ASIA: Desperate for sources of raw materials, Japanese leadership was infuriated when the United States won the contract to purchase all the Tungsten mined in Bolivia over the next three years following rejection of Japanese counter-bid.

MEDITERRANEAN: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyer "Malocello" and three torpedo boats.

British submarine HMS "Torbay" attacks an Italian convoy 15 miles off the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, sinking steamer "Giuseppina Ghirardi" and hitting "Utilitas" with a torpedo that sticks in the hull but does not explode.

On the first anniversary of Italy's entry into the war, Mussolini said in a speech to the Grand Council of Fascism that the United States was already in a de facto state of war with the Axis, but that;

"America's attitude does not bother us excessively ... American intervention would merely lengthen the war and would not save England."

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MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Allied troops make slow progress north out of Palestine. Allied troops captured several villages in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon as they advanced toward Beirut. On coastal axis 21st Australian Brigade continue the advance past the Litani but are stopped in the afternoon by French positions on the coast road. Free French 1st Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade attack Kissoue south of Damascus. During a reconnaissance flight over Deraa, a well-known French pilot, Capitaine Jacobi of 6 Squadron, 3rd Fighter Group, was shot down by the British air defence. Crews of French 7 Squadron, 1st Fighter Group received orders to "drive off small units of the British Navy" that were firing uninterruptedly at the French-held coast; but it turned out that these "small units" were the whole of the British 15th Cruiser Squadron, and the French swiftly halted their operations.

RAF forms a new RAF No. 127 Squadron at Habbaniya, Iraq, equipped with four Hurricanes and four Gladiators.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Chronometer: Indian 3rd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment lands at Assab, Eritrea. Assab is the last Italian Red Sea port, mainly held by assorted survivors retreating from various battles in Eritrea plus 5 batteries of coastal guns manned by the Navy. This is the prize for the Allied victory in Eritrea. Last year, when Italy declared war, the US Congress declared the Red Sea a combat zone. Neutral US ships must stay out. For 11 months supplies were unloaded at the Cape, reloaded onto British ships and brought to Egypt. Now with the entire East African coast in Allied hands, and Italy's naval squadron at the bottom of the Red Sea, Congress will reverse its position, and US ships may sail to Suez.

NORTH AMERICA: In Canada, twenty Four River Class frigates are ordered: HMCS "Dunver", "Cape Breton", "Outremont", "Valleyfield", "Thetford Mines", "Joliette", "Cap-de-la-Madeleine", "Stormont", "Matane", "Montreal", "Grou", "Saint John", "Stettler", "Edmunston", "Magog", "Longueuil", "La Hulloise", "Eastview", "Beacon Hill", "Kokanee", "St Catharines", "Waskesiu", "Prince Rupert", "Swansea".

NORTHERN EUROPE: Finnish armed forces begin partial mobilization.

UNITED KINGDOM: Lord Simon met with Rudolf Heß for 2.5 hours, during which Hess asked Lord Simon to work with the British government to negotiate peace with Germany.

Conduct of campaign in Crete hotly debated in the House of Commons. Hore-Belisha declares:

'For the first time in history an island has been captured by an airborne attack.'

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He asks why all the mistakes made in Norway have been repeated in Crete. Winston Churchill responds:

"I have not heard that Herr Hitler had to attend the Reichstag and say why he sent the "BISMARK" on her disastrous cruise. I have not heard that Signor Mussolini has made a statement about losing the greater part of his African Empire."

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He was annoyed that the Commons forced a debate about the loss of Crete, and said that it would be better for the government to decide the timing of discussions about the conduct of the war. He fiercely defended the government, but insisted that as Parliament's "lifelong servant" he will do as it says.

Luftwaffe sends 35 bombers to attack Pembroke overnight.

WESTERN FRONT: The German authorities expel most of the foreign diplomatic staff from Paris.

Vichy Vice-Premier François Darlan made a speech to the French people warning of those who were

"trying to darken the nation's understanding." Darlan said that "de Gaullist and Communist propaganda" both had "the same goal - to create disorder in the country, to increase the misery of the population, to prevent the rebirth of the nation ... Frenchmen, beware and help the government in its heavy, very heavy task. This task of the government is triple: to ameliorate the French people's situation, to prepare for peace in that measure a conquered nation can, and to prepare France's future in a new Europe."

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RAF Fighter Command conducts Rhubarb operations over Belgium. RAF Bomber Command sends 104 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine warships at Brest without success overnight.

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June 11 Wednesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-79 sank Norwegian ship "Havtor" 150 miles west of Iceland at 2051 hours; 6 were killed, 14 survived.

ASIA: At a Japanese Liaison conference between army and navy, Naval Chief of Staff Nagano Osami astounded his colleagues be vehemently calling for the Southward Advance. He and the navy's powerful "First Committee" were anxious to make a move before the American navy's huge "two-ocean" building programme was completed.

Trade negotiations between Japan and Netherlands East Indies are broken off, because Dutch are unwilling to consider exorbitant Japanese demands for raw materials.

EASTERN EUROPE: Red Army units from the Transbaikal are transferred westwards but are not put on alert.

GERMANY: Unternehmen Sommerreise: German heavy cruiser "Lützow" (repaired after damage from Norwegian shellfire and a British torpedo attack during the invasion of Norway in April 1940) departs Kiel for Norway, escorted by light cruisers "Emden" and "Leipzig" and six destroyers.

After dark, British bombers conducted the first of 20 consecutive nightly raids on the Ruhr and Rhineland industrial areas in Germany. Several German port cities such as Hamburg and Bremen were also hit. RAF Bomber Command sent 25 aircraft to attack Bremerhaven in daylight but 19 turned back. RAF Bomber Command sent 98 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 80 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

Hitler starts to prepare for the period after Barbarossa, ordering his generals to plan for an assault on Gibraltar and operations in Turkey and Iran. Hitler issues Fuehrer Directive No. 32 regarding preparations for post-Barbarossa operations, including occupation of oilfields in Near East and resumption of active warfare against British Isles. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/32.html

MEDITERRANEAN: British Submarine HMS "Torbay" rammed and sank a Greek fishing boat being used as a German troop transport 15 miles south of the island of Lesbos, Greece.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Chronometer: The 15th Punjab Regiment of the Indian 3rd Battalion captured Assab, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, thus securing the Red Sea. This will allow President Roosevelt to declare the area a non-combat zone and permit US ships to proceed through the Suez Canal, providing much relief to British forces in the Mediterranean.

British submarine HMS "Taku" sank German ship "Tilly LM Russ" in Benghazi Harbor, Libya.

NORTH AMERICA: US President Roosevelt frees a British division by agreeing to replace the British garrison in Iceland with American troops.

The United States sent a note to Portugal reserving the right to act in self-defense should the Azores and Cape Verde Islands be threatened by belligerent powers.

UNITED KINGDOM: Widespread German night raids over England. Leaflets were dropped over rural areas in East Anglia threatening starvation as a result of German victory in Battle of the Atlantic.

Over the Channel Oblt. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 downs a Hurricane from RAF No 248 Squadron.

Major General Douglas Wimberley took over command of British 51st Highland Division from Sir Neil Ritchie who moved to a staff appointment in British Eighth Army.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb and Roadstead operations over the continent. RAF Bomber Command sent 24 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight and 20 aircraft on minelaying operations. RAF 11 Group flew a Roadstead to Tanker and Flak-ships off Dunkirk. Fighters taking part were 12 aircraft of RAF No. 74 Squadron and 12 aircraft of RAF No. 609 Squadron. Bombers taking part were 5 Blenheim IV from 16 (GR) Group. Direct-hit on Tanker was noted.

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June 12 Thursday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Unternehmen Sommerreise: German heavy cruiser "Lützow", light cruiser "Emden", light cruiser "Leipzig", and destroyers passed through the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden.

A good day for the U-boat wolf packs. German submarine U-48 sank British ship "Empire Dew" in the North Atlantic; 23 were killed, 18 survived. The master, 16 crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by destroyer KNM "St Albans" and landed at Liverpool. German submarine U-371 sank British ship "Silverpalm" in the North Atlantic, killing the entire crew of 68. German submarine U-558 sank British ship "Susan Mærsk" (all 24 aboard killed) and Norwegian tanker "Ranella" (all 29 aboard survived) in the North Atlantic. The "Ranella", dispersed from Convoy OG-64, was hit on the port side in the tank #4 by one torpedo from U-553. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, the tanker was hit by a coup de grace. German submarine U-552 sank British ship "Chinese Prince" west of Ireland; 45 were killed 19 survived.

As part of the effort to cleanse the Atlantic of German supply ships refueling surface raiders and U-boats, British cruiser HMS "Sheffield" sank German tanker "Friedrich Breme" with shellfire in the Atlantic Ocean; 2 were killed 86 survived.

EASTERN EUROPE: 130 German army divisions are reported massed on the Russian border.

GERMANY: Hitler met with Romanian leader Ion Antonescu in Munich. An agreement was reached for Romania to participate in the invasion of the USSR.

A three-day conference of SS men of SS-Gruppenführer rank began at the SS castle of Schloß Wewelsburg in Büren, Germany.

Hptm. Herbert Nebenfuhr takes over as Gruppenkommandeur of Erg. Gruppe./JG 27 from Hptm. Erich Gerlitz.

RAF Bomber Command continues with more attacks on Germany, sending 91 aircraft to attack Soest, 84 aircraft to attack Schwerte, 61 aircraft to attack Osnabruk, 82 aircraft to attack Hamm and 18 aircraft to attack Huls overnight. Berlin civil defence authority warns population to take immediate shelter during air raids owing to danger posed by heavy HE bombs and mines, which have caused 'a great number of bomb victims'.

MEDITERRANEAN: British submarine HMS "Taku" sank Italian ship "Silvio Scaroni" 70 miles west of Benghazi, Libya. Italian torpedo boats "Pallade" and "Polluce" counterattacked without success.

British submarine HMS "Torbay" sank Italian schooner "Gesue E Maria" off the island of Skiros, Greece.

Dutch submarine O.24 sank Italian tanker "Fianona" and auxiliary patrol ship "Carloforte" 10 miles north of the island of Elba, Italy.

Over Malta, RAF and Italian fighters engage in fierce battles. Flight Commander Thomas Francis Neil of RAF No. 249 Squadron destroyed a Mc 200.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): 21st Australian Brigade continues to advance up the coast road towards Sidon. French now have six battalions (including two FFL) and most of their 90 tanks assembled between Mount Hermon and the desert for a counter-attack. A further three Tunisian battalions are in the Jebel Druse area. Unaware of this, General Lavarack decides to switch most of 25th Australian Brigade from the central axis to the coast to join 21st Australian Brigade, leaving a small holding force at Merdjayoun. Indian and Free French forces under French General Paul Legentilhomme captured Deraa, Sheikh Meskine, and Ezraa in southwestern French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon, but were held up Kissoué. General Legentilhomme is wounded supervising attempts to capture Kiswe south of Damascus. He is replaced by Brigadier Lloyd (5th Indian Brigade). General Wavell orders 16th British Brigade from Egypt to Syria to reinforce the invasion force.

NORTH AFRICA: The South African Air Force embarked on its first combat mission in North Africa.

NORTH AMERICA: Men of the US Naval Reserve were called to active duty.

Air Marshal Arthur Harris arrives in the United States as head of RAF purchasing, inspection, and training commission.

UNITED KINGDOM: In the early morning hours a solitary Heinkel He 111 from I./KG 28 raids the city of Birmingham.

Representatives of fourteen Allied countries and governments-in-exile made a pact in London to fight until victory was won and not make separate peace treaties with any Axis countries. The Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Government of Belgium, the Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia, the Governments of Greece, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Yugoslavia, and the representatives of General de Gaulle, leader of Free Frenchmen, engaged together in the fight against aggression, are resolved:

1. That they will continue the struggle against German or Italian aggression until victory has been won and they will mutually assist each other in this struggle to the utmost of their respective capacities;

2. There can be no settled peace and prosperity so long as free peoples are coerced by violence into submission to domination by Germany or her associates or live under the threat of such coercion;

3. That the only true basis for enduring peace is the willing cooperation of the free peoples in a world in which, relieved of the menace of aggression, all may enjoy economic and social security; and that it is their intention to work together with other free peoples both in war and peace to this end.

Churchill declares that every trace of Hitlerism will be 'blasted from the surface of the Earth', and that the RAF 'will continue to teach the German homeland that war is not all loot and triumph.'

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweep while RAF Fighter Command conducted more Rhubarb and Roadstead operations. RAF 11 Group Roadstead to shipping off Gravelines included 24 fighters from RAF No. 74 and 92 Squadrons and 12 fighters from RAF No.611 Squadron. Bombers taking part were 3 Blenheim IVs from 2 (B) Group.

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08 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
HDML 1043
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Losses
U-103 sank MV ELMDENE (UK 4853 grt) in the Central Atlantic off the coast of West Africa. The vessel was on passage from Newcastle on Tyne to Alexandria via Freetown with a load of coal, munitions and 20 a/c as deck cargo, She had a crew of 36, all of whom would survive the attack. At 12.34 hrs the unescorted ELMDENE, dispersed from OB-324 n 27 May, was torpedoed and sunk by bout 200 miles WSW of Freetown. The master and 35 crew members were rescued by the and taken to Freetown.


U-107 sank Liner ADDA (UK 7812 grt) in the Central Atlantic off the coast of West Africa. The vessel was on passage from Liverpol to Lagos via Freetown, Takoradi, and Accra carrying 415 passengers and crew at the time of her loss. 10 were lose their lives in the attack. At 0442 hrs the ADDA, the ship of the convoy commodore from the dispersed convoy OB-323, was hit aft by a G7a torpedo from U-107 and sank slowly 82 miles WSW of Freetown. The commodore, seven crew members and two passengers were lost. The master, 141 crew members, four gunners, five naval staff members and 264 passengers were picked up by Corvette HMS CYCLAMEN and landed at Freetown on 8 June.


U-108 sank the Steamer BARON NAIRN (UK 3164 grt) in the Nth Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Barrow to Nuevitas (Cuba) in Ballast and with a crew of 40, 1 of whom was to perish in the attack. At 0006 hrs the BARON NAIRN, dispersed on 2 June from convoy OB-328, was torpedoed and sunk by U-108 west of Cape Race. One crew member was lost. 18 crew members were picked up by the RCN Corvette CHAMBLY and landed at St.Johns. The master and 20 crew members were rescued after 19 days in a lifeboat and landed at Galway, Ireland on 27 June. Master John Kerr was awarded the Lloyd´s War Medal for bravery at sea.


U-108 sank Steamer DIRPHYS (Gk 4240 grt) in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the ship was on passage from Swansea to Montreal with a load of high grade coal. She had a crew of 25, 6 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 0604 hrs the unescorted DIRPHYS was hit amidships by a G7e torpedo from U-108 about 600 miles east of Newfoundland. The ship broke in two and sank after a boiler explosion. The Germans tried to question the survivors, but most of them were swimming in the water or clinging to debris and were picked up by the only lifeboat that could be launched.

On 10 June, the U-boat encountered this lifeboat again and this time took a German speaking radio operator (Robert Conine from Hasselt, Belgium) aboard for questioning. He told them that he had been three months in prison in Liverpool after the Secret Intelligence Service filed a charge against him because he had met a former crew member of ADM GRAF SPEE in Rosario and asked to be taken home, but the commander refused. The Germans gave the radio operator the course to the nearest coast and sent him back to the boat, which was provided with water, bread, two bottles of rum, aspirin and a box of matches.


U-38 sank Steamer KINGSTON HILL (UK 7628 grt) in the Central Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Cardiff to Alexandria via Capetown when lost, with a cargo of with a load of coal and a small amount of general cargo (some sources say mail), and a crew of 62, 14 of whom were to be lost in the attack. At 0108 hrs the unescorted KINGSTON HILL was hit by two torpedoes from U-38 nd sank slowly SW of the Cape Verde Islands after the last torpedo proved to be a dud at 0125 hours.. 16 crew members were picked up by DD HMS ACHATES and landed at Greenock. 26 crew members and six gunners were picked up by the US tkr ALABAMA and landed at Capetown.
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U-48 sank Tkr PENDRECHT (NL 10746 grt) in the Nth Atlantic, whilst on passage from Holyhead to New York. She was empty when lost, with a crew of 36, all of whom were to survive the attack. At 1545 hrs the PENDRECHT, dispersed on 5 June from OB-329, was hit on the port side amidships and the stern by two torpedoes from U-48 about 500 miles NW of the Azores. The tanker was en route to the USA for permanent repairs of the torpedo damage inflicted by the attack the previous December by U-96. The master tried to stabilize her by counter flooding, but the tanker caught fire and sank by the stern within minutes after being hit underneath the funnel by a coup de grace at 1617 hrs. All crew members had abandoned ship in 3 lifeboats, 12 in each one. On 10 June, the survivors in the lifeboat in charge of the master were picked up by the British steam merchant ALRESFORD and taken to Sydney, Nova Scotia. On 18 June, the men in the second boat were picked up by HMS PANDORA and brought ashore on 28 June in Portsmouth. The occupants of the third lifeboat were picked up by the American passenger ship EXCALIBUR on 22 June and were taken to New York, arriving on 28 June.


Naval drifter COR JESU (RN 97 grt) was sunk by the LW off Alnmouth with the entire crew rescued.
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Trawler HOPTON (UK 202 grt) was sunk on a British mine off Iceland, 11 crewmen were lost.
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UBOATS
At Sea 08 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

31 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CL KENYA departed Iceland to reinforce CL EDINBURGH on Denmark Straits patrol.
However, KENYA was recalled to fuel and proceed to the Iceland Faroes passage patrol.

Northern Waters
BB NELSON, escort DDs ELECTRA, IMPULSIVE, and ANTELOPE, arrived at Scapa Flow to rejoin the Home Fleet after duty in the Sth Atlantic. DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, and ESKIMO arrived at Scapa Flow at 1930 after escorting BB RODNEY.

West Coast
OB.331 departed Liverpool escort DDs ASSINIBOINE (RCN) and BULLDOG, corvettes ARROWHEAD, AUBRETIA, CARNATION, HOLLYHOCK, and PRIMROSE, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, DANEMAN, and KING SOL. The convoy was joined on the 9th by MSWs BRITOMART and SALAMANDER and CAM ship ARIGUANI. The CAM ship was detached on the 11th. On the 11th, sloops ABERDEEN and LONDONDERRY and corvette CAMELLIA joined. DD BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, CARNATION, and HOLLYHOCK the MSWs, and the ASW trawlers were detached on the 12th.Sloop LONDONDERRY and corvette ARROWHEAD were detached on the 13th and DD HARVESTER joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 18th.

OB.332 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes DIANTHUS, NASTURTIUM, and SPIKENARD and CAM ship MAPLIN. DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes HEPATICA, MAYFLOWER, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined on the 9th. DD CHESTERFIELD was detached on the 10th. On the 10th, DDs HARVESTER and HAVELOCK, sloop SANDWICH, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined. DD HARVESTER was detached on the 12th. On the 13th, sloop LONDONDERRY and corvettes ARROWHEAD, EYEBRIGHT, and SNOWBERRY joined. DD HAVELOCK was detached on the 18th.Sloop SANDWICH and corvettes HEPATICA, SNOWBERRY, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER were detached on the 19th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 23rd.

British trawler REMAGIO was damaged by the LW near Bamburgh during the night of 8/9 June. The trawler was abandoned ashore one quarter mile north of Bamburgh, but was . refloated on the 26th and brought to Holy Island.

Med/Biscay
British troopship GLENGYLE with DDs ILEX and HERO returned to Port Said when the landing was cancelled due to heavy surf on the beach on the Litani River in the Levant. Orders were received to land the troops before dawn on the 9th. Troopship GLENGYLE and DDs ILEX and HERO departed Port Said and the troops were landed as planned. CLA PHOEBE, CL AJAX and DDs KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, JACKAL, and JANUS arrived off Syria on the 8th to support the Army. DD KIMBERLEY engaged a French shore battery near Kahn Bridge. Two Fulmars of 803 Sqn from Dekheila were shot down. Lt J.M. Christian with Sub Lt N. Cullen and Petty Officer J.A. Gardner with Leading Airman H. Pickering were lost.

DD KELVIN and gunboat APHIS departed Alexandria for Port Said. APHIS for repairs at Port Said, whilst KELVIN continued on to Bombay for repairs, arriving on the 19th. The DD's repairs were completed at the end of December. She sailed from Bombay on 31 December and arrived at Aden on 4 January. KELVIN returned to t Suez 6 January.

Submarine CLYDE unsuccessfully attacked an RM DD off Naples. However , that evening, the sub sank steamer STURLA (FI 1195 grt) with gunfire five miles off Policastro.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub TAKU sent a shore party into Benghazi Harbour and damaged a steamer in harbour.

Submarine PARTHIAN sank two schooners and a lighter (FI 600 grt (est)) in Mitylene Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Nth Atlantic
U-46 attacked and damaged Tkr ENSIS in the Nth Atlantic After torpedoing the ENSIS, U-46 was rammed by her victim. The conning tower and periscope were damaged, forcing a return to base

Central Atlantic
Convoy SL.77 departed Freetown escort AMC ARAWA to 2 July, corvettes GARDENIA and MARGUERITE to 13 June, and ASW yacht SURPRISE from 8 to 13 June. Corvette CYCLAMEN escorted the convoy on 10 and 11 June. CA NORFOLK joined on the 15th and continued to 27 June when she was detached to Scapa Flow.
On the 23rd, ocean boarding vessels CAVINA and HILARY joined to 3 July. DDs BATH to 2 July, VANOC, and WALKER and corvettes HYDRANGEA and WALLFLOWER joined on the 29th, and arrived at Liverpool on 3 July.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 JUNE TO DAWN 9 JUNE 1941
Weather Fine and warm.
2321 hrs; 0018 hrs Air raid alerts for enemy fighter patrols which approach to within ten miles of the Island. Two Hurricane fighters at a time are scrambled and raiders recede with no engagement.

Enemy casualties Primo Aviere Giovanni Bonanno, air gunner; Sergente Maggiore Gugliemo Mazzolenis, 2ndpilot; Primo Aviere Francesco Minuto, wireless operator; Primo Aviere Michele Turco, mechanic; all 99o Gruppo, 43o Stormo, crew of Fiat BR 20 shot down and died. Tenente Sergio Reggiani, pilot, survived and was taken prisoner. Primo Aviere Lamberto Mariani, crewman; Aviere Scelto Marc N Mascellaro, crewman; Primo Aviere Umberto Micheli, crewman; Aviere Scelto Antonio Plamiere, crewman; Sottotenente Marcello Weber, pilot, all 193a Squadriglia, crew of Savoia SM 79 bomber, shot down into the sea and died. Maresciallo Luciano Fabbri, pilot, survived and was taken prisoner.

ROYAL NAVY 830 Sqn Swordfish dropped flame floats in an attempt to set fire to the large amount of oil floating in Tripoli Harbour, following the recent sinking of the MV Barmania. Flame floats were dropped in large numbers without result. Also bombing attack on ships in harbour and quays.

AIR HQ General Haining and party passed through Malta. Arrivals 2 Wellington, 2 Blenheim, 1 Maryland, 2 Beaufighter. 69 Squadron 4 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. One Maryland chased by fighters from Pantelleria, two others chased by Macchi 200 fighters, one attacked. 82 Squadron 2 Blenheims attacked three Q-boats near Pantelleria.

09 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Elco 77' PT20


Allied
Aux ML HMAS BUNGAREE (M-29)


Flower Class Corvette HMCS SASKATOON (K-158)


Flower Class Corvette HMS VERVAIN (K-190)


Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS VELETA (T-130)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 236
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vosper 70' type MTB 218
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U-101 sank Steamer TREVARRACK (UK 5270 grt) in the Nth Atlantic whilst the vessel was on passage from Glasgow to Montreal in ballast with a crew of 44. All of the crew were lost in this attack. At 1835 hrs the unescorted TREVARRACK, dispersed on 5 June from convoy OB-329, was hit on the starboard side underneath the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-101 and sank by the bow in less than three minutes after a boiler explosion about 600 miles east of St. John's, Newfoundland. The U-boat had spotted the ship coming out of fog at 1710 hrs and reported seeing three lifeboats after the sinking. However, the master, 36 crew members and seven gunners were not seen again.


U-46 sank Steamer PHIDIAS (UK 5623 grt) in the nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from Greenwich to Capetown with a mixed cargo including a/c. The vessel had embarked a crew of 51, 8 of whom were to be lost. At 0001 hours on 9 June 1941 the PHIDIAS, dispersed from OB-330, was hit by one torpedo from U-46 Nth of the Azores, but it did not sink immediately. The U-boat was now out of torpedoes, so they opened fire at 0010 hours with the deck gun. The ship first fought back, but soon she caught fire and stopped shooting because the crew abandoned ship. At 0045 hrs, the U-boat ceased fire after firing 71 rounds and left the burning and sinking wreck. The master and seven crew members were killed. 40 crew members and three gunners were picked up by EMBASAGE and landed at Sydney Canada.


Steamer DIANA (UK 942 grt) was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. One gunner was lost on the steamer. The survivors were picked up by ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND and taken to Thorshavn. A few sources state the steamer struck a mine and sank in the Channel with the loss of 8 crew.


Steamer DAGMAR II (UK 844 grt) was attacked by FW-200 aircraft and sank about 200 miles W of Cape Vincent. Three crew were lost in the attack.


Steamer FENIX (FN 1894 grt) was sunk by the LW in THE Western Approaches. One crewman was lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-143

At Sea 09 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CL KENYA sailed from Iceland for the Iceland Faroes passage and CL MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow for Iceland. DDs INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, and ACHATES departed Scapa Flow for Reykjavik where they arrived during the afternoon of 10 June

Northern Waters
CA SUFFOLK rejoined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy HX.129 and searching for German supply ships. DDs IMPULSIVE and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow at 0600 for Loch Alsh to escort MLs during minelay SN.64.

Med/Biscay
Steamer SABINA (SP 2421 grt) was sunk on a mine forty miles from Genoa. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLA PHOEBE was attacked by a Vichy submarine CAIMAN off the Syrian coast, but was not damaged. At this point, Admiral King withdrew his cruisers to Haifa. Vichy DDs VALMY and GUEPARD from Beirut bombarded British positions in Syria. DD JANUS, alone off Sidon, engaged the French destroyers and was badly damaged. DDs HOTSPUR, ISIS, and JACKAL joined and eventually drove the Vichy DDs off. DDs KIMBERLEY and KANDAHAR carried out a bombardment mission against Khan Bridge and were also joined DD JANUS. JANUS was towed to Haifa by KIMBERLEY at a speed of 12 knots while DDs ISIS, HOTSPUR, JACKAL pursued the retreating Vichy DDs.

DD JACKAL sustained slight damage from a shell hit. She had no time out of service.
DD KANDAHAR covered JANUS' retirement and recovered the pilots from a Vichy fighter and a pilot from an RAF Hurricane which collided during the raids on JANUS.
The Vichy DDs returned to Beirut. JANUS arrived at Haifa on the 10th. The DD was towed from Haifa by netlayer PROTECTOR and escorted by sloop FLAMINGO on the 11th to Port Said, arriving on the 12th. Netlayer PROTECTOR and sloop FLAMINGO then returned to Alexandria. The DD was eventually taken to Simonstown for repair through the end of 1941.

RAN DD STUART and RN DDs JAGUAR, GRIFFIN, and DEFENDER departed Alexandria to reinforce Force B.

British submarine URGE unsuccessfully a steamer NW of Lampedusa.

NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Alexandria for Port Said to have her catapult removed. The cruiser returned to Alexandria on the 10th.

British troopship GLENEARN, towed by netlayer PROTECTOR and escorted by sloop FLAMINGO, departed Alexandria for Port Said. After arriving, PROTECTOR and sloop FLAMINGO proceeded to Haifa to tow damaged destroyer JANUS.

Central Atlantic
CV VICTORIOUS and CL NEPTUNE, escort DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and VANSITTART, were met at sea by BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL and CVL FURIOUS, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESTER, and FURY. CL NEPTUNE was sent into Gibraltar, arriving on the 9th to land German POWs and captured documents from the German ship weather ship GONZENEHEIM. DD WIVERN was sent into Gibraltar on the 9th and DDs WILD SWAN, VANSITTART, and WRESTLER arrived on the 10th. Force H.arrived safely at Gibraltar on the 11th.

CVL FURIOUS, after transferring personnel and a/c to VICTORIOUS, returned to England, accompanied by CL SHEFFIELD and DD FURY. CL SHEFFIELD was detached from the carrier and ordered to patrol an area bounded by 45N, 23W and 44N, 25W. The DD was also detached to rejoin Force H. The carrier arrived in the Clyde on the 14th. CL SHEFFIELD joined convoy SL.76 on the 14th to return to England for refitting. The cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th.

CL NEPTUNE departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

Pacific/Australia
CL DAUNTLESS completed refitting at Singapore.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 JUNE TO DAWN 10 JUNE 1941
Weather Fine and warm.

Early AM Air movement monitors pick up four SM 79 bombers being ferried from Sciacca to Castel Benito, which are plotted on course to pass 30 miles west of Malta. Four Hurricane fighters are sent to attack and intercept the bombers 50 miles south of the Island. They shoot down one SM 79 in flames into the sea. A second is last seen breaking from the formation in a sharp dive, apparently out of control. Two other SM 79s are badly damaged. One Hurricane is damaged and ditches in the sea.
A search for survivors finds the Hurricane pilot uninjured. One Italian crew is rescued from the sea. One of two Swordfish of 830 Squadron taking part in the search has to make an emergency landing on the sea; all the crew are rescued.
Enemy search aircraft are monitored all afternoon to the south of the Island but Hurricanes are unable to intercept.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 9 JUNE 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Wellington, 1 Cunliffe Owen Flying Wing, 1 Beaufighter. Departures 2 Blenheim, 2 Beaufighter.69 Squadron 3 Marylands on reconnaissance, one on shadow patrol; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. 2 Blenheims on search to attack convoy but failed to locate.

HAL FAR 1 Swordfish 830 Squadron force-landed in the sea. The crew were picked up safely and returned to Hal Far.

10 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
HDML 1040, MA/SB 22, ML 263, MSW MMS 40
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Losses
U-108 sank Steamer CHRISTIAN KROHG (Nor 1992 grt) in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from Oban to St Lawrence. The ship was empty when lost with a crew of 23. All of the crew were to lose their lives in the attack. The CHRISTIAN KROHG had been sailing in convoy OB-329, which was dispersed on 5 June 1941 and she proceeded alone. On 9 June, she was missed by U-108 with one torpedo, but U-108 sank her the next day. All 23 on board died: 17 Norwegian, three British, one Swedish, one Estonian and one Canadian were in the crew.


U-204 sank MV MERCIER (Be 7886 grt) in the Nth Atlantic in the area that was soon to be known as the Mid Ocean Meeting Point (MOMP). She was on passage from Liverpool to montreal via Halifax, transporting training a/c and mail. She had a crew of 62, 7 of whom were to lose their lives. At 0248 hrs he unescorted MERCIER, dispersed from OB-330 on 7 June, was hit by one of two torpedoes fired by U-204 when steaming on a non-evasive course at 12 knots about 450 miles east of St. John's, Newfoundland. The officer on watch sighted the U-boat breaking surface about 500 yards off the port beam shortly before the attack and course was immediately altered to starboard applying full helm, but it proved to be too late and the track of one torpedo was seen before it struck on the port side in #2 hold, while the second was apparently a dud. The explosion tore open the deck from the rail to the hatch combing and threw the hatch covers and a large amount of water into the air. The ship took a list to starboard which gradually increased when the engines were stopped after going full astern to slow her down, making a 180° turn in the progress. The crew and six passengers (one Canadian and five Poles) prepared to abandon ship after distress signals were sent, but no reply received. At 0257 hrs, a single G7e torpedo was fired as coup de grace which struck on the starboard side. A violent explosion shuddered the MERCIER, put the radio out of action and the list to starboard increased rapidly because the back of the ship was broken and the bow and stern began to raise. The survivors left as quickly as possible in two lifeboats, but rough sea and heavy swell made it difficult and many men fell overboard during the launch of the starboard aft boat. The port aft boat was launched when the ship was already sinking and those who remained aboard were told to jump into the water. The whistle of the ship was faintly heard several times before her boilers exploded and the MERCIER sank about 20 minutes after being hit by the second torpedo. Her stern raised vertically and then sank rapidly as last part, the scene being illuminated by two Holmes lights which had been ignited to facilitate abandoning ship. The master and six crew members were lost and six men were injured. The U-boat waited for the ship to sink and then left the area without questioning the survivors.


U-552 sank the MV AINDERBY (UK 4860 grt) in the Western Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Santos to the Tyne with a cargo of iron ore, and a crew of 41, of whom 12 were to be lost in the incident. At 1055 hrs the unescorted AINDERBY was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 130 miles NW of Bloody Foreland. The master, 27 crew members and one gunner were picked up by DD HMS VETERAN and landed at Greenock.

This attack was carried close to Home waters and it is odd to me that the vessel was travelling unescorted that close to the main combat area.


UBOATS
At Sea 10 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Kingfisher class sloop HMS PINTAIL (RN 510 grt) was sunk on a mine off the Humber, escorting convoy FN.477. 53 officers and ratiungs were killed with only 22 surivors.


The sloop was sunk as she attempted to give assistance to steamer ROYAL SCOT (UK 1444 grt) which was also sunk on a mine five cables 70° from 62 Buoy, Humber River entrance. Ten crewmen and one gunner was lost on the steamer.


British steamer CLEARPOOL was damaged by the LW off 18B Buoy, Scarborough (Yorkshire). Two crewmen were lost on the steamer. The steamer arrived at Tees on the 11th.She was repaired at Hartlepool.

Northern Patrol
MLs AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS and DDs BRIGHTON, ST MARYS, IMPULSIVE, and ANTHONY departed Loch Alsh on the 9th. CL NIGERIA departed Scapa Flow on the 9th and joined at sea for escort duties. The MLs laid minefield SN.64 on the 10th in the Faroes North Rona minefield. The MLs and DDs BRIGHTON and ST MARYS returned to Loch Alsh on the 11th, whilst DDs IMPULSIVE and ANTHONY parted company with the force off Cape Wrath and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 11th. NIGERIA returned to Skaalefjord on the 11th to refuel before proceeding on patrol.

CLs EDINBURGH and NIGERIA departed the Denmark Strait patrol to refuel at Hvalfjord. CL ARETHUSA departed the Iceland Faroes patrol and arrived at Scapa Flow.

Northern Waters
ORP DD KRAKOWIAK departed Scapa Flow to work up after a refit and returned .later on the 11th. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 2315 to join convoy WN.38 in Pentland Firth and escort it southeastward. During the afternoon of 11 June, the ship transferred to convoy EC.31 south of Buchan Ness. Off Duncansby Hd on the 12th, the ship shifted to convoy WN.39 and escorted it to Methil where they arrived on the 13th.

West Coast
OB.333 departed Liverpool, escort DD WALKER and corvettes GENTIAN, WALLFLOWER, and ZINNIA. DDs AVON VALE, ERIDGE, and FARNDALE joined on the 11th and were detached on the 13th. HMS WALKER and corvette WALLFLOWER were detached on the 14th. The convoy was dispersed on the 21st.

Med/Biscay
Force B of CLAs PHOEBE and COVENTRY, CL AJAX, and DDs KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, JACKAL, ILEX, ISIS, HOTSPUR, and HERO. DDs STUART (RAN), JAGUAR, GRIFFIN, and DEFENDER as a separate anti-submarine force returned for operations off the Levant coast.

Submarine TORBAY unsuccessfully attacked a six ship convoy, including steamers UTILITAS, ALBARO, and GIUSEPINA GHIRADI, in the Dardenelles. In a second attack, the submarine struck steamer UTILITAS with a torpedo which did not explode, but imbedded in the hull.

In a third attack, submarine TORBAY sank steamer GIUSEPPINA GHIRARDI (FI 3319 grt), which was straggling, 15 miles off Cape Helles.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamer DURENDA was damaged by the LW approaching Port Said. British steamer RABY CASTLE in company was not damaged. The steamers were not escorted.
The DURENDA received temporary repairs at Port Said and permanent repairs at Bombay.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy HX.132 departed Halifax, escort BB REVENGE, DD ANNAPOLIS, and aux PV HMCS REINDEER. The DD and the PV were detached later that day. Convoy BHX.132 departed Bermuda on the 8th escorted by AMC MALOJA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.132 on the 13th the AMC was detached. RCN DDs NIAGARA and SAGUENAY joined on the 14th. Corvette COBALT joined on the 15th. On the 16th, DDs COLUMBIA, RAMSEY, RESTIGOUCHE (RCN), and RICHMOND and corvette CANDYTUFT joined the convoy. DDs COLUMBIA and RESTIGOUCHE were detached on the 18th.BB REVENGE was detached on the 20th. DDs RICHMOND and SAGUENAY and corvette COBALT were detached on the 23rd. On the 23rd, DDs BROKE and SALADIN, corvettes ABELIA, ANEMONE, and VERONICA, MSW HUSSAR, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, and ST ZENO joined. Corvette CANDYTUFT was detached on the 24th. The remainder of the escort arrived with the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

SC.34 departed Sidney CB, escorted by AMC RANPURA and aux PVs RACCOON and REINDEER. The PVs were detached in the harbour approaches on the 11th. DD RESTIGOUCHE joined on the 15th and was detached on the 18th. DDs COLUMBIA, NIAGARA, RAMSEY, RICHMOND, and SAGUENAY and corvettes CANDYTUFT and COBALT joined on the 16th. DDs RAMSEY and RICHMOND were detached on the 22nd. The rest of the original escort, less DD NIAGARA, but including the AMC was detached on the 23rd. On the 23rd DD BROKE joined the escort. On the 24th, DDs LINCOLN, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER, MSWs, GOSSAMER, HAZARD, and HEBE, and CAM ship PEGASUS joined. DDs LINCOLN and NIAGARA and corvette ALISMA were detached on the 27th. DDs BROKE, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS and the MSWs were detached. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on the 29th.

Central Atlantic
ASW trawlers ST MELANTE and RUNSWICK BAY departed Gibraltar for Bathurst, escorting salvage tug VALKYRIE, which was on passage top the Eastern Med.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
British operation CHRONOMETER (capture of the last remaining Italian controlled port on the IEA coast)was carried out. An Indian Bn was landed at Assab from a transport covered by CLA DIDO, armed boarding vessel CHAKDINA, and Indian sloops CLIVE and INDUS. DIDO carried out a bombardment prior to the landing. On the 11th, DIDO and sloops CLIVE and INDUS departed for Aden.

Pacific/Australia
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington with convoy AP 41. This convoy, was renamed convoy VK.12, and was escorted to Wellington by RAN CA AUSTRALIA. ACHILLES escorted the convoy to 230 miles east of Chatham Island.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 JUNE TO DAWN 11 JUNE 1941
Weather Fine and warm.

1506-1534 hrs Air raid alert for four ME 110 fighters which approach to within five miles of Grand Harbour. 17 Hurricanes are scrambled but do not intercept due to faulty radio transmission.

2013-2015 hrs Air raid alert caused by the return of friendly Maryland aircraft.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 10 JUNE 1941

ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron 7 Swordfish in operation to intercept a northbound convoy between Pantelleria and Marittimo Island unsuccessful.

AIR HQ Departures 1 Wellington. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.

11 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXC U-130

21 ships sunk, total tonnage 127,608 GRT
Sunk on 12 March 1943 in the Nth Atlantic west of the Azores, by DCs from the USN DD CHAMPLIN. 53 dead (all hands lost).

Neutral
Elco 77' type USS PT-25
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net Tender USS ALOE (AN-6)


Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS FLOTTA (T-171)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 261, MMS I Class MSW HMS MMS 21 (J-521), Thornycroft 75' type RNorN MTB 54,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Losses
U-79 sank MV HAVTOR (Nor 1524 grt) in Northern waters, in the Denmark Strait, roughly near where the Hood had been sunk. The ship was on passage from Reykjavik to nova Scotia, travelling empty with a crew of 20, 6 of whom were to lose their lives. At 2051 hrs the unescorted HAVTOR was torpedoed by U-79. The ship did not sink fast, so the master had time to dump the secret papers overboard and organize assistance for the 9 injured before they abandoned ship in a lifeboat. But they had to leave one seriously wounded man, who had tried to get out through the porthole and was found there unconscious. He had gotten so stuck it was impossible to get him loose. He went down with the ship. At 0033 hrs on 12 June, the U-boat shelled and sank the vessel after the crew had left the ship. The lifeboat set sail for Iceland, was spotted 5 miles off Reykjanes and picked up by the motor fishing vessel PILOT.

Able seaman Ole Normann Lorentzen was awarded St. Olavsmedaljen and Krigsmedaljen posthumously. He had been on board HIRD during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, had been torpedoed on that ship in September 1940 and survived also the sinking of his next ship, the BEDUIN in March 1941


Steamer BARON CARNEGIE (UK 3178 grt) was badly damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. Nine crewmen were killed and sixteen crewmen were missing. The steamer sank in tow of British steamer SEINE in 52-04N, 5-01W.


Steamer MOORWOOD (UK 2056 grt) was sunk by the LW abeam 19 C Buoy, north of Whitby. The entire crew were rescued. MOORWOOD was on passage London to Blythe in ballast. The vessel foundered and was lost seven miles NW of Whitby after being torpedoed. Crew of 19 and 3 gunners, no lives lost.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Kiel: U-60
Unknown U-93

At Sea 11 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

30 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
DKM CS LUTZOW, CLs EMDEN and LEIPZIG, and DDs LODY, Z.23, Z.24, ECKHOLDT, and GALSTER departed the Baltic. On the 12th, light cruisers EMDEN and LEIPZIG were detached to Oslofjord. CS LUTZOW and the five DDs passed out of the Skagerrak. The Pocket Battleship was torpedoed by a British torpedo plane off Lindesnes on the 13th. DD ECKHOLDT took the CS in tow and the other DDs screened the withdrawal. LUTZOW was able to proceed under her own power an hour later. The Task Group, less the other units that had diverted to Oslo returned to Germany. During the return DD Z.24 was near missed by British bombing. LUTZOW was again under repair, this time from 14 June to January 1942.

The Fleet at Scapa Flow came to 1 hr's notice at 0430 on receipt of reports of the movements of the German surface fleet including the heavy unit DKM CS LUTZOW in the Skagerrak approaching the Nth Sea.

DKM S Boat Flotillas and other light forces have by now moved to the Eastern Baltic in readiness for Operation Barbarossa. Only two S-Boat Flotillas remain in the west. flot

North Sea
British steamer WESTBURN was damaged by the LW three miles north of Skinningrove off Hartlepool. The steamer arrived at Hartlepool on the 11th in tow.

Northern Patrol
CL MANCHESTER, escort DDs INGLEFIELD and ICARUS, arrived in Iceland and sailed that day on patrol with DDs INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, and ACHATES. DD ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow to join this force and arrived in Iceland on the 13th. CA SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord, arriving on the 13th.

Northern Waters
Sub Lt T P D'Donovan and Sub Lt H. Morris were killed when their Fulmar of 800 Sqn collided with a Martlet of 881 Squadron off Lee (in the sth of England). The Martlet's pilot, Lt J A Rooper was also killed.

During night take off at Arbroath (East Coast Scotland), Sub Lt (A) S.H.Bunch was killed when his Sea Hurricane hit a Swordfish, flown by sub Lt R P Cross. He was not injured. This was among the first mentions Ive seen of a Sea hurricane in operational context

DD HAMBLEDON departed Scapa Flow to escort steamers AMSTERDAM and LADY OF MANN from Aberdeen. The ships were met early on the 12th off Aberdeen and steamer AMSTERDAM was escorted to Lerwick where they arrived that afternoon.Steamer LADY OF MANN was detached en route to Scapa Flow when off Duncansby Hd. DD HAMBLEDON escorting steamer AMSTERDAM departed Lerwick predawn on the 13th and met steamer LADY OF MANN from Scapa Flow off Duncansby Hd. The two steamers were taken to Aberdeen. DD HAMBLEDON arrived back at Scapa Flow after this duty just prior to midnight on the 13th.

West Coast
Submarine H.32 grounded in the Clyde. The submarine was repaired at Ardrossan.

Med/Biscay
DD NUBIAN (which had lost her stern in the Battle for Crete) was sailed from Alexandria to Port Said escorted by sloop AUCKLAND. NUBIAN arrived at Port Said on the 12th and was passed through the Canal. Sloop AUCKLAND returned to Alexandria.

A British Fulmar of 800 X Sqn ditched off Delimara Point Malta returning from a patrol over Sicily. Petty Officer A.W. Sabey and Lt J.S. Manning were rescued after dawn.

A Buffalo of 805 Sqn flew into the ground at Dekheila. Sub Lt J.B. Musson RNVR, was killed.

Submarine TAKU sank Steamer ILSE L. M. RUSS (Ger 1600 grt), at one time the ELFRIDA and sometimes referred to as the TILLY L M RUSS, on the 11th in Benghazi Harbour.


A convoy of steamers SILVIO SCARONI, CADAMOSTO, and AOSTO departed Tripoli on the 9th for Benghazi, escorted by TBs PALLADE and POLLUCE. The next day, submarine TAKU sank steamer SILVIO SCARONI (FI 1367 tons) 70 miles 283° from Benghazi. The submarine was counterattacked by torpedo boats PALLADE and POLLUCE, but was not damaged and took up patrol positions outside Benghazi on the 10th.


Submarine TORBAY also sank by ramming an unnamed caique (Ex Gk 350 grt) carrying several hundred German troops and stores, 15 miles south of Mitylene.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Nth Atlantic
OB.334 departed Liverpool, escort corvette POLYANTHUS and ASW trawler AYRSHIRE. DD BEAGLE reinforced the escort on the 12th and corvettes GLADOILUS, NIGELLA, and ORCHIS, CAM ship MAPLIN, MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER, and ASW trawlers LADY MADELEINE and ST LOMAN separately but on the same day. The DD, CAM ship, corvettes GLADIOLUS and NIGELLA, and the MSWs were detached on the 17th. The convoy was joined on the 17th by DD BURNHAM and CHURCHILL, AMC AURANIA, and corvettes DIANTHUS and SPIKENARD for escort as far into the Atlantic as was then possible for the short ranged escorts that at that time made up most Escort Command. DD CHESTERFIELD was with the convoy on the 19th. The AMC, DD BURNHAM, and corvettes DIANTHUS, ORCHIS, and SPIKENARD were detached on the 20th. BB REVENGE and AMC s BULOLO and CALIFORNIA joined on the 20th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 25th.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Convoy BA.3 departed Karachi, escorted by armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 20th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 JUNE TO DAWN 12 JUNE 1941

Weather Strong winds.

0620 hrs Air movement monitoring picked up two enemy aircraft patrolling four miles to the south of Malta. Hurricanes are scrambled and attempt to intercept; no claims.
0845-0930 hrs Air raid alert for an Italian SM 79 bomber on reconnaissance, escorted by ten ME 109 fighters approaching the Island from the north, then turning to cross the coast over Kalafrana towards Hal Far. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage heavily, breaking up the formation. The ME 109s sheer off northwards and take no further part in combat. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the SM 79 bomber to the east of Filfla. In the engagement, one Hurricane and the SM 79 crash into the sea close to one another off Benghaisa. An extensive search recovers only one body, that of the Italian airman. Pilot F/Lt Burnett of 46 Squadron is missing.

1407-1420 hrs; 1436-1453 hrs; 1540-1612 hrs; 1623-1640 hrs Air raid alerts triggered by a total of 22 enemy aircraft in five formations patrolling 30 miles north of the Islands. Hurricanes are scrambled on each occasion and the raiders turn back before engaging or reaching the Island.

0200-0230 hrs Air raid alert for three unidentified enemy aircraft which approach from the north east to Zonqor Point. Two raiders cross the coast. 20 bombs are dropped off St Thomas' Bay, in the sea two miles east of Kalafrana and also to the north west of Anchor Bay. Nine red Very lights are seen fired from the sea east of Delimara Point.

0319-0338 hrs Air raid alert for a single unidentified enemy aircraft which approaches from the north east and crosses the coast over St Paul's Bay, dropping bombs between Ta Qali and Mosta, as well as eight east of Valletta.

0352-0410 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island but turns back before reaching the coast.

Military casualties Flight Lieutenant Norman Whitmore Burnett, pilot, Royal Air Force, 46 Squadron; Squadron Leader Michael L Watson, Royal Air Force, 82 Squadron.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE 1941

AIR HQ General Haining and party passed through Malta. Arrivals 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Beaufighter, 1 Sunderland, 1 Cunliffe Owen Flying Wing. 69 Squadron 4 Marylands on reconnaissance. 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance of Gerbini aerodrome, revealing 12 ME 109s and 3 SM 79s; also Catania aerodrome, identifying 20 twin-engined aircraft and 10 Italian fighters. 82 Squadron 2 Blenheims attack convoy; 1 shot down.

12 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VII C U-574
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
1 warship sunk 1141 grt.
Sunk on 19 December 1941 in the North Atlantic east of Ponta Delgada, Azores, in position 38.12N, 17.23W, by ramming and depth charges from the British sloop HMS STORK. 28 dead and 16 survivors.

Allied
HDML 1008, LCTs 114 & 115, MGB 313
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U-371 sank MV SILVERPALM (UK 6373 grt) in the nth Atlantic, whilst thje vessel was on passage from Calcutta to Glasgow via the Cape and Freetown with a mixed cargo and a crew of 68 aboard. None of the crew would survive the attack. At 0326 hrs, U-371 hit the vessel with two torpedoes and observed it sinking after 38 minutes. Although some uncertainty exists as to the victim, this must have been the SILVERPALM, which was reported missing in the Nth Atlantic after being seen the last time on 1 June. On 15 July, a lifeboat with eight bodies was sighted by the British trawler CAVE.


U-48 sank Steamer EMPIRE DEW (UK 7000 grt) in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from Newcastle on Tyne to Port Brunswick, travelling empty and with a crew of 43. 23 of the crew were lost in the attack. At 0251 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE DEW, detached from convoy OG -64, was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 Nth of the Azores. The master, 18 crew members and one gunner were picked up by RNorN ST ALBANS on 18 June and landed at Liverpool.


U-552 sank Steamer CHINESE PRINCE (UK 8593 grt) in the Western Approaches. The vessel was on passage from Port Said to Liverpool via Capetown. The ship was carrying a mixed cargo of Potash, dried fruits and magnesite, with a crew of 64 aboard, of whom 46 were to be lost in the attack. At 0414 hrs the unescorted CHINESE PRINCE was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 sth of Rockall. The master, 43 crew members and two gunners were lost. 18 crew members were picked up by HM Corvettes ARBUTUS and PIMPERNEL and landed at Londonderry.


U-553 sank tkr RANELLA (Nor 5590 grt) in the nth Atlantic whilst on passage from Clyde to New York. The ship was empty when lost with a crew 29 aboard, all of whom would survive the attack. At 1505 hrs the unescorted RANELLA, dispersed from convoy OG-64, was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-553. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, the tkr was hit by a coup de grace at 1635 hours behind the mast and broke in two but remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and after 1706 hrs fired 100 rounds from her deck gun until she sank. The boats were separated the next day in bad weather, but both sailed about 300 miles in twelve days and reached Figueira da Foz, Azores Islands.

RANELLA broke in two after being torpedoed twice

U-553 sank Steamer SUSAN MAERSK (UK 2355 grt) in the SW Approaches whilst the ship was travelling empty from Newport to Milford Haven A crew of 24 was aboard, all of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 0122 hrs, U-553 fired one torpedo at an unescorted freighter 370 miles NNE of the Azores and observed how the ship sink within 90 seconds after being hit. The U-boat had spotted the ship about five hrs earlier and missed with a stern torpedo at 0105 hrs. The SUSAN MAERSK was reported missing after being detached from convoy OG-64.


AO FRIEDRICH BREME (DKM 10,397 grt) was sunk by CL SHEFFIELD in 49-48N, 24-00W. 88 German sailors were rescued, including twelve wounded of which two died of wounds.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-123

Departures
Bergen: U-651
Lorient: U-138

At Sea 12 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA
32 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
BB KG V, CLs AURORA and ARETHUSA and DDs BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ESKIMO, and RAN NESTOR departed Scapa Flow at 0127. BB NELSON and CA DEVONSHIRE remained at Scapa Flow, but continued on one hour's notice. On patrol, CL AURORA intercepted steamer ROLFSBORG (FN 1831 grt) (now known to be treating with the enemy) and sent her into Kirkwall for inspection. She was impounded after the entry of Finland on the Axis side. CL ARETHUSA intercepted steamer KRONOBORG (FN 6537 grt) and sent her to Kirkwall also. She was impounded as well after Finland sided with the Germans. The British ships returned to Scapa Flow on the 14th .

Northern Patrol
DDs ELECTRA and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde where they arrived on the 13th. DD ANTELOPE joined these DDs after departure from Scapa for a special convoy escort.

West Coast
Ex-US Coast Guard cutter/escort ship SENNEN was damaged in a collision with harbour drifter ANIMATE in the Clyde.

Med/Biscay
NZ manned CL LEANDER and DDs JERVIS and HASTY departed Alexandria to relieve CL AJAX and DDs STUART, KANDAHAR, JAGUAR, and HOTSPUR off Syria.

Corvette HYACINTH arrived at Haifa from Alexandria.

Tanker ADOUR (Vichy 1105 grt) was damaged by a British torpedo plane off Syria. The tanker was able to proceed to Turkey where she was interned for the duration.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine CACHALOT departed Alexandria with supplies for Malta.

Submarine TORBAY sank schooner GESUE e MARIA (FI 239 grt) off Skiros Island (in the Aegean).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.24 sank tanker FIANONA (FI 6660 grt) south of Vada (Im uncertain of that location) in 43-08N, 10-30E on the 12th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND}

The next day the Dutch submarine also sank aux PV trawler CARLOFORTE (FI 143 grt) with a demolition charge 36 miles 294° from Gorgara (location uncertain).
[NO IMAGE FOUND}

Central Atlantic
CA NORFOLK departed Freetown to escort convoy SL.77, which had departed Freetown on the 8th, to the UK. The CA carried 181 German prisoners from the tankers ESSO HAMBURG and EGERLAND. NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 JUNE TO DAWN 13 JUNE 1941

Weather Hot and sunny.

0925-0956 hrs Air raid alert for an enemy aircraft on reconnaissance over Grand Harbour, escorted by Macchi 200 fighters, which passes over Luqa and Hal Far before leaving to the south west. The raiders are heavily engaged by anti-aircraft fire which splits the formation. 18 Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage and shoot down five enemy fighters into the sea. Two Hurricanes also crash into the sea; P/O R Saunders is rescued, badly wounded. The second, P/O R Munro, does not survive. A third Hurricane is damaged on landing.

Noon A formation of enemy aircraft is reported approaching the Island. Hurricanes of 46 Squadron are scrambled and intercept. They fire at a Cant Z 501 flying boat before seeing that it is marked with red crosses, and evidently searching for casualties. The Hurricanes immediately turn away but the flying boat catches fire and the crew bale out as it dives towards the sea. In the ensuing dogfight four enemy fighters are confirmed destroyed. One Hurricane crashes into the sea; the pilot Sgt N Walker is rescued.

Evening Another flying boat approaches the Island and is attacked and shot down by Hurricanes.

0220 hrs While searching for the Hurricane pilot missing after this morning's raid, HMS Jade is attacked by two E boats 17 miles south of Cape Passero, Sicily. Both E boats fire torpedoes which miss Jade; a spirited encounter ensues at close range; one of Jade's crew is killed by machine-gunfire. Jade returns fire, constantly raking the E boats with machine-guns and damaging both, one seriously.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 12 JUNE 1941

ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 6 Swordfish despatched to attack Tripoli Harbour and quays. Two returned with engine trouble; the remaining four dropped 2000lbs of high explosive bombs and 100lbs of incendiaries over Spanish Quay and buildings, starting several fires.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron 4 Marylands on reconnaissance. One Sunderland en route to Malta from the Middle East attacked an Italian submarine 240 miles off Malta; the submarine crash-dived.

HAL FAR One Fulmar force-landed in the sea; crew picked up safely and returned to Hal Far.

June 13 Friday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Unternehmen Sommerreise: German heavy cruiser "Lützow", light cruiser "Emden", light cruiser "Leipzig", and destroyers passed through the Skagerrak between Denmark and Norway. Despite aerial cover by Bf 110 fighters, a British force of Beaufort torpedo bombers with fighter escort was still able to get through and attack, damaging "Lützow" with a torpedo hit in the engine room. "Lützow" was forced to return to Kiel, Germany for repairs.

German submarine U-107 sank Greek ship "Pandias" 300 miles north of the Azores islands at noon; 11 were killed, 23 survived. 4,894 tons of coal and 1,050 tons of military equipment, including 11 crated Spitfire fighters, originally destined for Alexandria, Egypt for the Allied troops, were lost.

German submarine U-77 sank British ship "Tresillian" 300 miles off Newfoundland, Canada at 0545 hours. All 46 aboard survived and rescued by US Coast Guard cutter "Duane".

ASIA: Russo-Japanese trade agreement is announced in Tokyo.

EASTERN EUROPE: Stalin is informed by Richard Sorge in Tokyo that Hitler will invade the Soviet Union at dawn on 22 June. Timoshenko and Zhukov ask permission to alert troops at the border and begin deploying forces, but Stalin refuses. The Soviet news agency TASS denied any German threat and labeled such rumors as hostile propaganda. The Russians begin to arrest those in the Baltic States who might support a German occupation. In all, about 50,000 are rounded up, with the majority never to be seen alive again. Thousands of Jewish community leaders were deported to Siberia as part of the general purge. The Soviet Union, which had occupied the former Romanian province a year earlier, loaded 22,600 Moldovans on cargo trains bound for Siberia, where the deportees were used for forced labor.

GERMANY: Walther von Brauchitsch returned to Berlin, Germany from an inspection of invasion forces in Poland.

Rashid Ali, the Grand Mufti, and other Arab leaders who escaped from Iraq are invited to Berlin.

RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft to attack Schwerte overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian submarine "Brin" sank British ship "Djurdjura" (33 killed, 5 survived) and Greek ship "Eirini Kyriakides" (entire crew of 31 killed) of Allied convoy SL75 100 miles east of the Azores islands.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): The Free French and British have invaded Vichy Syria but so stretched are General Wavell's men and materials that some of the invading army are riding to war on horseback. Australian troops attack around Sidan. Vichy French troops held up the Australian 7th Division at the steep pass at Jezzine, halfway from the Palestinian border to Beirut. Australian Private James Gordon won the Victoria Cross medal for single-handedly neutralizing a French machine gun post while fighting in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon. Armoured cars and lorried infantry of 1st Spahis (Vichy) probe Kuneitra.

NORTH AFRICA: Allied Troop convoy WS 8A arrives at Suez from UK.

NORTH AMERICA: US Marine Corps Major General Holland M. Smith relinquished command of the 1st Marine Division to become the commanding general of the I Corps (Provisional) attached to the US Navy Atlantic Fleet. The mixed Marine-Army corps was consisted of the 1st Marine Division and the 1st Infantry Division.

L. W. Murray heads new Canadian convoy escort force based on Newfoundland; NW Atlantic Canada's responsibility.

SOUTH PACIFIC: No.24 Squadron RAAF took over the Garbutt H/F D/F Station. Its purpose was to assist aircrew in navigating by giving a course to steer to reach the area of the H/F D/F station and consisted of four vertical masts (aerials). HF/DF station Garbutt transferred to RAAF.

UNITED KINGDOM: Luftwaffe sends 135 bombers to attack Portsmouth, Southampton, and Chatham overnight. Luftwaffe bombers conducted a raid on the British naval base at Chatham, England with little effect. Bombs were scattered widely over South and East England and 7 aircraft were shot down. British vessels "King Henry", "St Patrick", and "Kingstown" were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft. 29 people were killed, when German dive-bombers sank the Great Western Railway steamer "St. Patrick".

Cpl James Hendry (b. 1911), Royal Canadian Engineers, died when a burning magazine blew up. Hendry was serving with No.1 Tunnelling Company of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, who had been given the task of digging the tunnel between Loch Spey and Loch Laggan to supply water to the British Aluminium works at Fort William, when a fire broke out in an explosives store near Loch Laggan. The twenty-nine-year-old ordered his colleagues to run to safety and attempted to extinguish the blaze, rather than attempt to escape the inevitable explosion. The huge blast also killed his colleague Sapper John MacDougall Stewart, and seven more were injured. (George Cross)

WESTERN FRONT: Anti-Semitic laws are extended in Vichy, with 12,000 Jews arrested and property confiscated. The excuse that 12,000 Jews were involved with an "anti German/French coup plot" is used by the Vichy government to justify authorizing various Anti-Semitic laws. These laws now restrict Jews in Vichy France as they have in Hitler controlled countries.

RAF Bomber Command sends 110 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine warships at Brest without success overnight.

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June 14 Saturday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-751 sank British ship "St. Lindsay" 700 miles west of Ireland at 0346 hours, killing all 44 aboard.

EASTERN EUROPE: Croatia became the newest member of the Tripartite Pact.

In Moscow, Russia, Vyacheslav Molotov informed Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg that the Soviet Union was to publish, on the next day, that the rumors of a German attack on the Soviet Union were all fabricated by the British. Molotov refuses to believe intelligence of upcoming German attack, saying that;

"…only a fool would attack Russia."

Click to expand...

The June Deportation, which was the first major wave of Soviet mass deportations and murder of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, began. Arrests had begun after Soviet Union occupied Estonia in July 1940, but they were made quietly. There were about 7,000 people arrested before 14 June, mostly Estonian politicians, high level officers and others whom the Communists considered dangerous. In Lithuania the Russian secret police gathered up some 40,000 men, women and children and exiled them to Siberia in cattle cars. This was the first of many shipments. Arrests and deportations totaled some 34,260 people.

All German vessels in Soviet ports were ordered to depart.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler met with his High Command regarding Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, including a planned start date. Hitler informs his senior generals that during the forthcoming attack on Russia, prisoners of war do not have to be treated according to the Articles of the Hague Convention since the USSR has not signed the latter. Soviet Commissars are 'not to be considered POWs' (i.e., they are to be summarily executed). The "Lucy" spy ring in Germany promptly passed along this information.

Commander Theodore Eicke of the SS Death's Head division informs his officers of Hitler's "Commissar" order to kill all Communist officials on sight.

RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight. The first Canadian bomber mission was carried out during the night. Three RCAF No. 405 Squadron Wellingtons bombed railway marshalling yards at Schwerte, as another Wellington aborted.

MEDITERRANEAN: British submarine HMS "Clyde" sank Italian ship "Giovanni Bottigliere" south of Sardinia, Italy.

Operation Tracer: British aircraft carriers HMS "Ark Royal" and HMS "Victorious", escorted by cruiser HMS "Renown" and 7 destroyers, set sail from Gibraltar for Operation Tracer and launched 47 Hurricane fighters for Malta; 43 of them would reach their destination safely.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Australian 21st Infantry Brigade attacks Vichy French positions at Sidon with naval gunfire support from British destroyers HMS "Jervis" and HMS "Griffin". Two French destroyers based in Beirut counterattacked at 1620 hours, but was chased off by New Zealand cruiser HMNZS "Leander" and British destroyers. Vichy French defenders withdraw from Sidon overnight. 25th Australian Brigade captures Jezzine after long truck journey from Merdjayoun to the coast. On the eastern axis French in Kiswe continue to resist fiercely. Eight German Ju 88 aircraft also attempted to attack, but were driven off by P-40 Tomahawk fighters of No. 3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force based in the British Mandate of Palestine, shooting down 3 Ju 88 aircraft.

NORTH AMERICA: President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8785, freezing all German and Italian assets in the United States. In response, Germany and Italy have taken measures with a view to freezing US assets, said to be worth GBP 105 million in Germany and GBP 36 million in Italy.

The first tests of the launcher, rocket antitank, T1, codenamed "The Whip". This is later known as the bazooka.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Battleaxe: Wavell launches Operation Battleaxe, which has as its aim the destruction of Rommel's forces and to achieve a decisive victory in North Africa. If all else failed the attack might at least relieve Tobruk. The attack was to be led by the new commander of 13 Corps. Lt-General Beresford-Pierse, who had replaced the captured General Neame. To achieve this aim, the British had to capture the old frontier posts at the Halfaya Pass, Fort Capuzzo and Sollum in the first attack. This would be achieved by the Indian 4th Division with the Matilda tanks of the 4th Armoured Brigade in close support. Once they had succeeded in penetrating the enemy line, 7th Armoured would come forward, join with 4th Armoured and break through to Tobruk. This done, 7th Armoured, now reinforced by the Tobruk garrison, would push on and secure a line along the axis between Derna and Mechili. Wavell estimated that Rommel had 13,000 men and 100 tanks close to the wire with another 25,000 men and 200 tanks around Tobruk, 80 miles to the west. The true figures were that the British had 300 assorted tanks to Rommel's 200, of which only about 100 were the gun-armed PzKw IIIs and IVs. But Rommel had prepared a defensive line and moved all his anti-tank forces forward, including 88mm guns, which could easily penetrate the thick armour of the Matildas. During the day, British armour, reinforced with tanks from the Tiger convoy, moves forward in Egypt to within 25 miles of German positions on the Libyan border. Rommel has the newly arrived 15.Panzerdivision on the border and he orders up reinforcements when he learns of the British movement, leaving 5.Leichte Division to prevent any break out from Tobruk. After sundown, German artillery bombarded Tobruk.

Hans-Joachim Marseille suffered damage in the engine of his fighter and was forced to crash land in friendly territory in Libya. He returned to based, took off in another fighter, and later was shot down once again, and again was able to crash land and escape unharmed.

UNITED KINGDOM: During one of the largest night raids for the month conducted by the Luftwaffe against England, eight He 111s of KGr 100 attacked the aircraft factory at Filton shortly after midnight. One Heinkel is lost during the raid.

In a letter to General Hastings Ismay, Winston Churchill criticized Bernard Freyberg's tactical handling of the defense of Crete, Greece, in particular the fact that no counter-attack had been mounted in the western sector (e.g. around Maleme airfield) for 36 hours after the initial German assault.

Air Marshal Sir Philip Joubert takes command of RAF Coastal Command.

WESTERN FRONT: The British RAF began the first of month-long series of daylight fighter 'sweeps' by RAF Fighter Command over Channel and Northern France. RAF 11 Group Circus 12 to St. Omer Airfields had 12 fighter squadrons escorting 12 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group. One Blenheim IV from RAF No.110 Sqn was lost. Ofw. Robert Menge of 3./JG 26 was shot down and killed near Marquise, France by Squadron Leader James E. Rankin of No. 92 Squadron RAF. At the time of his death Menge had 18 kills to his credit. RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

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The human cost.



Left to right, Fw Heinz Schulz, Uffz Helmut Baehner and Uffz Jakob Ried, the crew of that Ju 88 C-4. W.Nr. 0335. They all perished. In better times we would have been playing football against them, not shooting them down into Norfolk mud flats.

Steve

June 15 Sunday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Aircraft from HMS "Eagle" damaged German tanker "Lothringen" in the South Atlantic, allowing the ship to later become captured by the crew of HMS "Dunedin".

Whilst operating with the North Atlantic Escort Force, HMS "Thunderbolt" attacks but misses U-557 with a six torpedo salvo. This interception is one of the first resulting from Ultra intelligence. Shortly after the 2nd Submarine Flotilla is disbanded and HMS "Thunderbolt" is sent to the Mediterranean theatre, as is U-557 who sinks her on 15th December.

USN Task Force 3 begins Atlantic patrols from bases at Recife and Bahia.

ASIA: Japanese aircraft bomb Chunking (Chongqing) and some bombs land near the river gunboat USS "Tutuila" (PR-4), the US military attaches' office and the US Navy canteen. The Japanese air raid on Chongqing also damaged the US embassy. US government criticized the Japanese raids on civilian sections of Chongqing, China. Japanese Admiral Shimada Shigetaro expresses regret and tells the Americans that the bombing was "wholly unintentional."

A Vietnam Independence League (Viet Minh) has been formed to be an army of liberation aimed at eliminating not only Japanese but also French control of Indochina. The League held its first meeting last month under the auspices of the Communist Party at Pao Bo. Although led by the Communists, the Viet Minh aims to provide a united front for all parties who want to end foreign domination of Vietnam. Its driving force is the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Van Thanh - better known as Ho Chi Minh, meaning "He Who Enlightens"

EASTERN EUROPE: German units moved into their start positions for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Likewise, the Soviet Union moved the new conscript units into forward positions.

Galeazzo Ciano sent a message to his Hungarian counterpart, advising that Hungary should prepare to deal with a potential Soviet attack, which might be forthcoming due to suspected German aggression against the Soviet Union.

Kriegsmarine ordered to begin "accidentally" sinking Soviet submarines in the Baltic.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command: 35 aircraft are sent to bomb the oil refinery at Hamburg, 26 claim to attack. RAF Bomber Command sends 91 aircraft to attack Cologne, 31 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 16 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

The Independent State of Croatia signed the Tripartite Pact.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): In the early hours HMS "Jervis" and HMS "Kimberley" had a short engagement with Vichy French destroyers "Guepard" and "Valmy" with the latter again using their superior speed to retire after having straddled HMS "Jervis" several times. On the Eastern axis, Indian and Free French troops (Gentforce, now under the command of British Brigadier Lloyd French as General Paul Legentilhomme has been wounded) attacked Kissoué in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon at 0400 hours, capturing it by 0900 hours, breaking a 5-day deadlock. Vichy troops outflank them along a parallel road 5 miles to West and threaten Allied troops holding Quneitra, well behind Gentforce. French mobile column captures Ezraa, cutting Lloyd's communications with Transjordan. Another column threatens Kuneitra and remaining communications with Palestine. Lloyd detaches Free French infantry and British artillery to the rear to hold Sheikh Meskine. On the Central Axis, French infantry regiment with tanks and artillery attack Australian holding force at Merdjayoun (2/33 Battalion, 2/2 Pioneers, battery 2/5 Field Arty, Scots Greys and part of 6 Australian Cavalry). Australians are forced out of Merdjayoun, however many French tanks are knocked out by 25-pdrs and French cannot advance further. On coastal axis, British destroyers bombarded Sidon in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon and were retaliated against by German Ju 88 aircraft, hitting HMS "Jackal", HMS "Ilex", and HMS "Isis". "Jackal" suffers minor damage from a bomb passing through the upper deck and into the sea. Both HMS "Ilex" and "Isis" go to Haifa for temporary repairs. "Isis" will go to Bombay and Singapore where she is further damaged by Japanese bombing on January 17 1942. "Ilex" will go to Aden, Mombassa, Durban and USA for repairs, completed in October 1942. Shortly after, 21st Australian Brigade enters Sidon. French forces counter-attack at Jezzine but are stopped by divisional artillery. In the evening, aircraft of French 4th Naval Air Group bombed British naval units off the Syrian coast.

Six Gladiators of X Flight are patrolling over Kissoue at 8,000ft when they are bounced by Dewotine D520's. Fl-Off J N Craigie is shot down and killed in the first pass. Another Gladiator is badly damaged. One Dewoitine crashes in British territory. The pilot is captured. The other, flown by French ace Sous-Lt Le Gloan, crash-lands at Rayak airfield and is written off.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Battleaxe: The British launched Operation Battleaxe. At 0200 hours, British troops (including 11th Indian Infantry Brigade) in armoured cars, 100 infantry tanks and 90 cruiser tanks move forward from Egypt. They attack German/Italian defenses on the Libyan border at 0600 hours, moving along the coast and across the desert covered by RAF Hurricane fighters. The first phase of this advance, to capture the Hafid Ridge, went well, but prior reconnaissance had failed to reveal that the Hafid Ridge was actually three ridges. The Germans fake a retreat to lure the British tanks over a ridge into a trap (the first of many times Rommel will use this tactic). The dawn attack by the right-hand column on the Halfaya Pass (named Hellfire Pass by the British), made along the top of the escarpment was stopped when "C" Squadron, 4 RTR, supporting the 2nd Cameron Highlanders, ran against the entrenched 88mms which were in stone-built sangars, with only their muzzles visible. The "C" Squadron commander, Major Miles, was last heard on the radio reporting, "They are tearing my tanks apart." 15 heavy Matilda infantry tanks are quickly destroyed. The fight at Halfaya went on until about 1000 hrs when "C" Squadron was down to one Matilda and one light tank, and the Camerons were then forced to withdraw by infantry counter-attacks covered by machine-gun fire, and retreated down the pass with great loss. Other squadrons of 4 RTR engaged the enemy along the wire to keep the enemy busy while, further south, advancing along the escarpment, the centre column, led by 7th Royal Tanks, captured Fort Capuzzo (has now changed hands 9 times since June 1940), losing five tanks in the process. Meanwhile the main force of 7th Armoured Division was preparing to hook round the German southern flank, led by 7th Armoured Brigade, which hd been re-equipped with the new Crusaders. To keep these tanks a surprise, the column was led 2nd RTR in A9 and A10 cruisers. One Squadron moving forward was decimated with only two tanks surviving an encounter with a line of anti-tank guns concealed behind dummy vehicles. The Germans counter-attacked with about 35 tanks coming up from the south-east. The British with only 20 tanks left that were fit for action were ordered to hold this force, but they were outgunned and by nightfall five tanks were lost. Although the race to bring reinforcing armour to North Africa has been a tie, Germans take the first round due to superior anti-tank weapons.

The Luftwaffe has about thirty-six fighters from I./JG 27, 7./JG 26 and 8./ZG 26 to defend against about 150 RAF warplanes. The Bf 109s shoot down eight Hurricanes and two bombers but lose two of their own fighters.

NORTH AMERICA: Japanese spies Itaru Tachibana and Toraichi Kono were arrested in the United States.

Naval Air Station Kodiak on Kodiak Island, Aleutian Islands is established.

UNITED KINGDOM: Churchill telegrams FDR opining that the Japanese seem intent on war in the next several months. He suggests that the Japanese will content themselves with occupying strategic points in the NEI and will not invest the troops to besiege Singapore. Churchill requests that FDR station USN heavy units in Singapore as a deterrent.

General Miles Dempsey takes command of 46th Infantry Division.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

.

June 16 Monday
ASIA: In Tokyo, the US government hands the Japanese a sharp diplomatic protest, stating that on 11th and 14th June, a twin-engined Japanese military aircraft had flown over Guam at very high altitude. The Japanese government denies all knowledge of this.

GERMANY: Gen. Eugen Meindl is awarded the Knight's Cross for his leadership in the opening phase of the battle for Crete and especially for the overall performance of his regiment in this campaign.

Kesselring transfers his headquarters in preparation for Unternehmen Barbarossa and meets with Bock, whose Heeresgruppe Mitte will be supported by Luftflotte 2.

RAF Bomber Command sends 105 aircraft to attack Cologne, 72 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 39 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Galeazzo Ciano met with Joachim von Ribbentrop in Venice, Italy. When Ciano asked Ribbentrop about the rumors of a German attack on the Soviet Union, Ribbentrop denied the rumors, but he shared the confidence that, should war really break out, a German victory would be achieved very quickly.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Further French attacks on Jezzine are repulsed by 25th Australian Brigade. Before dawn a French mobile column of 7th Chasseurs d'Afrique, a company of Senegalese and some artillery under Col. Lecoulteux capture El Quneitra from 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers after an all-day fight, taking 470 prisoners. This cuts key roads behind 5th Indian Brigade (Damascus) and 7th Australian Division (Merdjayoun). 177 officers and men surrendered at 1900 hours. Despite this disaster in his rear, Brig Lloyd (5th Indian Brigade) sends one Indian battalion to the Kuneitra road to cut off the French in turn, and aggressively continues his advance on Damascus. Alarmed by the general French counter-attack over the whole front, Generals Wilson and Lavarack throw in their few reserves. Leading elements of 16th British Brigade arriving from Egypt are diverted to Deraa; 2/3 MG Battalion is sent to hold crossings on the Jordan; Brig Berryman (BGRA 1st Australian Corps) is placed in command of all troops around Merdjayoun. Bennett decided to advance down the hill against the French flank. Lieutenant Copp's platoon fixed bayonets and charged, then Marshall's platoon charged on his right, while Dwyer's men, farther to the right, established themselves overlooking the track along which the French would have to withdraw to Ferdisse. Copp's platoon advanced among the French with Tommy guns and bayonets, and the enemy ran. Buttrose's company joined in the chase, and his mortars and Dwyer's Bren gunners poured fire into the fugitives. More than fifty French troops were killed. Both companies then took up defensive positions on the high ground west of Rachaya until, about 1700 hours, orders came from Monaghan to withdraw to Bmeriq. They did so and took up positions there that night. Thirty-two French cavalry horses, fine Arab stallions, were captured in the fight at Rachaya. The battalion used them to mount its messengers and for officers' chargers. Finally these horses were handed over to the 6th Cavalry Regiment to mount a troop known as the "Kelly Gang". Further north, Indian and Free French troops advanced toward Damascus. Fleet Air Arm torpedo-bomber flying from Cyprus sink the large Vichy destroyer "Chevalier Paul", while it is trying to bring in a supply of ammunition. A second super-destroyer "Vaquelin" succeeds in reaching Beirut but is then damaged by British air attack.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Battleaxe: There is stalemate at Halfaya Pass where British tanks are held at bay by the 88s. The British move south to the Sidi Omar area, where action continues throughout the morning. Two-pounder and Besa fire cause much damage among a large concentration of Germans, who later withdraw in a north-easterly direction. The British attack at Halfaya had not been as successful as had been hoped, and although Fort Capuzzo was taken at bayonet point by the infantry the Germans were forming for a strong counterattack. With the British attack stopped by German anti-tank guns and numerous tank breakdowns, Rommel sends in his armoured reserves. 5.Leichte Division attempts to outflank the British at dawn, bypassing Hafid Ridge to the west, but they are spotted by British 7th Armoured Regiment. There are running battles all day as the series of skirmishes toward Hafid Ridge saw many British tanks destroyed by the heavier guns of the Panzer IIIs and IVs. By nightfall, 7th Armoured Brigade was down to just 25 tanks. At dusk, 7th Armoured Regiment retreats, allowing 5.Leichte Division to swing east at Sidi Omar aiming to encircle the British at Halfaya Pass. 15.Panzerdivision attacks Fort Capuzzo all morning but loses 50 of 80 tanks to British 25-pounder anti-tank guns by noon. They are then ordered to cut south to Sidi Omar to join 5.Leichte Division in the encircling maneuver. The 15.Panzerdivision counter-attacked around Capuzzo, while the 5.Leichte Division made the hook around the British left flank, with the aim of reaching the Halfaya Pass and cutting off both British divisions from supply or escape down the escarpment. The 4th Indian Division struggles to hold 15.Panzerdivision. At 1600 hours, Erwin Rommel decided to launch a decisive counterattack on the next day.

Hans-Joachim Marseille suffered heavy damage with his fighter while in combat in North Africa. Unable to see due to oil-smeared windscreen, he still landed successfully, guided down over the radio by his flight leader Reiner Pöttgen.

NORTH AMERICA: The U.S. State Department orders all German consular establishments be closed and all German consular officials, agents, clerks, and employees to leave the country. Also included in this order are German nationals connected with the German Library of Information in New York City, the German Railway and Tourist Agencies, and the Trans-Ocean New Service. The Germans are ordered out of the country by 10 July 1941. The reason given for this action is that these agencies "have been engaged in activities...of an improper and unwarranted character" and "wholly outside the scope of their legitimate duties."

The US Marine Corps established the 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) at Charleston, South Carolina, United States under the command of Brigadier General John Marston. The brigade was soon to be transferred to Iceland.

The First Canadian Tank Brigade leaves Canada, destined for England.

The new Washington National Airport opened southwest of DC. In 1945, Congress passed a law that established the airport was legally within Virginia but under the jurisdiction of the federal government. In 1998 it was renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.

NORTHERN EUROPE: In anticipation of Barbarossa, Finnish troops are withdrawn from the island of Morgonland, which they were using to observe Soviet naval traffic at the occupied port of Hanko, on the south-westerly tip of Finland, and the surrounding waters are mined by both sides.

UNITED KINGDOM: Winston Churchill received an honorary degree from the Rochester University in New York. In his radio address shortly after receiving this degree, he told his American listeners that it gave him;

"..comfort and inspiration to feel that I think as you do, that our hands are joined across the oceans, and that our pulses throb and beat as one ... A wonderful story is unfolding before our eyes. How it will end we are not allowed to know. But on both sides of the Atlantic we all feel, I repeat, all, that we are a part of it, that our future and that of many generations is at stake.".

Click to expand...

Luftwaffe sends 60 bombers to attack Gloucester. A single He 111 from KGr 100 attacks the Gloster aircraft factory outside Bristol at 0135 hours.

British unemployment figures for May 1941 was at its lowest, showing 243,656, compared to over 600,000 one year prior.

In military custody, Rudolf Hess tries to commit suicide by throwing himself off a staircase, but only breaks a leg.

WESTERN FRONT: The RAF conducts 'Circus No. 14', a raid on Boulogne by ten Blenheim bombers from RAF Coastal Command and ten RAF No. 11 Group fighter squadrons as escort. Flying low to avoid the anti-aircraft fire, the formation is bounced by Bf 109s of I./JG 26. The RAF lose two Blenheims and nine Spitfires while the Luftwaffe loses four Messerschmitts. Flying with 1./JG 26, Lt. Josef 'Pips' Priller shoots down a RAF Spitfire and a Blenheim in 10 minutes over Boulogne. Obstlt. Galland of 8./JG 26 destroys a Hurricane from the escorting Allied fighters. Of the four Bf 109s lost, two pilots are killed – including one from 8 Staffel -, another bails out over the Channel and is rescued while the last Messerschmitt crash lands at Audembert.

RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: In operations against 'squealers', short-wave radio equipped trawlers used as early warning stations by the Luftwaffe in the North Sea, 3 Blenheims of RAF No. 21 Sqdn. sink a trawler, but not before one aircraft had struck the ships mast and cartwheeled into the sea.

RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft on anti-shipping missions with heavy Fighter Command escort.

.

June 17 Tuesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-43 sank British ship "Cathrine" 250 miles southwest of Ireland at 0315 hours; (24 crew lost, 3 in a lifeboat rescued after 33 days by the British trawler "Boreas").

Convoy HX-113, with 58 ships, makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean. Escort ships are Royal Canadian Navy destroyer "Ottawa" and corvettes "Chambly", "Collingwood", and "Orillia". Six merchant ships are lost during the convoy.

EASTERN EUROPE: Luftwaffe aircraft conduct recon flights over Zapolyarnyj.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command: The RAF bombs Cologne, Duisburg and Dusseldorf. RAF Bomber Command sends 76 aircraft to attack Cologne, 57 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 26 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

Hitler decides on June 22, 1941 for the invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa.

MIDDLE EAST: Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Concerned that the French counter-attack may swing westward and cut off 7th Division in the mountains of Lebanon, Lt-Gen Lavarack orders 21st Brigade (Brig Stevens) to halt the coastal advance and detach a battalion to reinforce Jezzine. On the Eastern axis 2nd Battalion Queens attack from Deraa and drive French forces out of El Quneitra. An initial thrust by Free French Senegalese against Ezraa is repulsed but a second attempt drives out the French forces and take 160 prisoners. In the central sector the French again attack Jezzine but are driven off by elements of 25th Australian Brigade. 70 weary and hungry Vichy Senegalese troops are taken prisoner. 2/2 Pioneer and 2/25 Battalions under Brig Berryman attack Merdjayoun but are driven back by fierce French resistance. British bombers attacked a French destroyer, carrying ammunition which she had brought from France, in the port of Beirut in French Syria-Lebanon.

British Habforce was ordered to advance from Iraq into Syria.

NORTH AFRICA: Operation Battleaxe: At 0430 hours German 5.Leichte Division and 15.Panzerdivision drive east to cut off the British still attacking Halfaya Pass. General Messervy senses the trap and orders 22nd Guards Brigade at Fort Capuzzo and 11th Indian Brigade at Halfaya Pass to retreat. The British 7th Armoured Division tanks form a screen against the advancing Panzers until 1600 hours, allowing the retreating infantry to avoid the German encirclement. In the evening the Germans advanced upon the British forcing them to retire, firing as they left. Within 15 minutes the 2nd RTR had only five tanks left and they were unable to hold the rapid advance of the Germans. With the enemy occupation of Sidi Suleiman the action ended. In the afternoon, the Allied leadership decided to call off the Operation Battleaxe offensive. A grim faced Commander-in-Chief flew in from the Western Desert and dictated a cable to London which began:

"I regret to report the failure of 'Battleaxe'."

Click to expand...

General Wavell's first major counter-offensive had ended in defeat. The British forces were 30 miles east of the position they started out from three days ago and morale was low. British losses during Battleaxe were 381 killed and missing, 588 wounded, 91 tanks (27 cruiser tanks and 64 Matildas), 33 RAF fighters and 3 bombers. Although losses are not large, less than a thousand men killed, wounded and missing, 91 tanks had been lost and 80% of the British tanks were out of action. The Germans lose 328 killed and missing, 350 wounded, only 12 tanks and 10 aircraft destroyed. The failure of the operation, especially in regards to the heavy losses in tank strength, would soon cost Wavell his position as the British commander-in-chief in the region. Wavell will be replaced as CIC Middle East by Churchill for this failure to relieve Tobruk with the new tanks from the Tiger convoy. Although Egypt lies undefended before him, Rommel cannot exploit this success due to long supply lines from Tripoli and the threat from Allied forces at Tobruk.

Obfw. Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down two Hurricane fighters over Halfaya Pass in Egypt while escorting Stuka dive bombers; they were his 12th and 13th kills.

NORTH AMERICA: Lt Denis James Patrick O'Hagan RCNVR awarded George Medal.

Destroyer HMCS "St Clair" is heavily damaged in a collision with the oiler "Clam" soon after joining the Newfoundland Escort Force. "St Clair" is diverted to St. John's for repairs that will last until 2nd December 1941. It is highly unlikely that "Clam" and "St Clair" were engaged in underway refueling at the time of the collision. "Clam" was used for 'afloat tankage' and for shuttling fuel to St. John's from Halifax. Fuelling was done alongside the oilers while they lay either at a berth or at mooring buoys. This was also the RN practice at Greenock.

Canadian destroyers from British home waters return to Canada, to serve with the Newfoundland Escort Force.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Finland began to secretly mobilize its military for Operation Silver Fox, the Finnish invasion of the Soviet Union in concert with the German Operation Barbarossa. Notices on street corners order all reservists up to the age of 44 to report for duty. The Finnish army, with its knowledge of the country and ability to use the terrain, would also be able to hold the Russian army in the north while the Germans launched a Blitzkrieg towards Moscow. Many in Britain will be sad to see the Finns allying with Hitler, but hatred of Russia outweighs all other considerations. Finland announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations.

The Swedish government allows Germany's Engelbrecht Division to pass by Swedish rail from Norway to Finland.

UNITED KINGDOM: The Guards Armoured Division was established by the British Army with Major General Sir Oliver Leese in command.

This evening the British public was let into the secret of radio-location (also known as RDF, or radar) for the first time. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, who last week took over RAF Coastal Command, paid tribute to Robert Watson-Watt, the scientist who pioneered the system which did much to help win the Battle of Britain. He gave no technical details, but he did say that it was a system of rays "which are unaffected by fog or darkness. Any aircraft or ship in the path of this ray immediately sends back a signal to the detecting station." Watson-Watt himself, who has been made a CB and Fellow of the Royal Society, insists:

"I am just an ordinary man."

Click to expand...

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on R.A.F. No. 11 Group Circus 14 mission near Boulogne while RAF Fighter Command flies R.A.F. No. 10 Group Roadstead off Cherbourg and Circus operations. Lt. Josef 'Pips' Priller of 1./JG 26 downs a Hurricane west of Cap Gris Nez for his twenty-third victory.

.

13 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-47

S 47" in the Black Sea still without the Kalotte (Picture from the heritage trust of Kpt zS a.D. K.F. Künzel)

Neutral
Elco 77' class PT USS PT-21
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS COTILLION (T-104), MA/SB 25,
[NO IMAGEs FOUND]

Losses
U-107 sank Steamer PANDIAS (Gk 4981 grt) in the Central Atlantic, off the West Coast of Africa. The vessel was on passage from Newport to Alexandria via Milford Haven and Table Bay with a cargo of Coal and about 1000 tons of military hardware including 11 Spitfires. She had a crew of 34, 11 of whom would be lost in the attack. The details of the sinking are that at 1157 hrs the unescorted PANDIAS was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-107 and sank by the stern. The U-boat surfaced and provided the survivors in the lifeboats with cigarettes, water and rum.


U-77 sank Steamer TRESILLIAN (UK 4743 grt) in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was on passage from Immingham to the St Lawrence Gulf travelling empty with a crew 46, all of whom were to survive the attack. At 0404 hrs the TRESILLIAN, dispersed on 7 June from OB–330, was hit amidships by one torpedo fired by U-77 SE Cape Race. The ship had been spotted at 0028 hrs and was hit by a dud three hrs later. After the hit, the ship stopped but the crew only prepared the lifeboats for launch and sent out emergency messages, so the U-boat opened fire with a machine gun at the bridge and after the crew abandoned ship shelled her with 87 rounds from the deck gun until 0530 hrs. Between 60 and 65 hits were scored, but no effect could be observed except a small fire. At 0545 hours, a coup de grace was fired which hit amidships and caused the ship to sink after breaking in two. All of the crew were rescued by the US Coast Guard cutter USS DUANE and landed at St. Johns


RM sub BRIN attacked convoy SL.75 in the SW Approaches. The submarine sank steamer DJURDJURA (UK 3460 grt), formerly the PENRITH CASTLE, whilst the vessel was engaged in the transport of iron ore from Pepel for Oban.. 33 crewmen were lost on the British steamer, with only 5 crewmen rescued.


RM sub BRIN also sank steamer EIRINI KYRIAKIDES (Gk 3781 grt) in the SW Approaches, also from SL.75, whilst on passage from Lourenco Marques to Ardrossan with iron ore. All the crewmen from the Greek steamer were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The submarine claimed sinking two more steamers, but no more were damaged.

Steamer KINGSTOWN (UK 628 grt) was sunk by the LW nine miles NW of Bishops Light, Bristol Channel, whilst on voyage from Waterford to Swansea in ballast. The vessel was taken in tow but sank six miles off St. Anne's Head whilst under tow.. The entire crew were rescued. The steamer sank in tow of a trawler six miles 287° from St Anne's Head.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Ferry ST PATRICK (UK 1922 grt) was sunk by the LW on her usual run from Rosslare (Ireland) to Fishguard (Wales) in the St Georges Channel. The vessel broke in two and sank with the loss of 12 passengers, 17 of her crew and one gunner.


Steamer ALA (Nor 933 grt), in tow of tug SECURITY from Shoreham to Southampton after 17 May bombing damage, was sunk by the LW in 50-42N, 0-52W. One crewman was lost on the steamer.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-105
St Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 13 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

30 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Gate vessel KING HENRY (UK 162 grt) was sunk by the LW at Lowestoft.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamer EMPIRE CREEK was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea near Aberdeen. The ship was disabled by near misses. The steamer arrived at Aberdeen.

British steamer DALEMOOR was damaged by German bombing off the Firth of the Forth. Six crewmen were killed and two were missing. The steamer was towed to Leith.

Northern Patrol
Sloops BLACK SWAN and STORK departed Scapa Flow at 0900 for Fair Island Channel to search for a submarine reported by aircraft fifty miles SE of Fair Island. The sloops were later joined by two MLs and ASW Trawlers OPHELIA and CELIA. That evening, sloop STORK made an attack 15 miles 73° from Seal Skerry Light. Motor launch ML 218 also attacked a contact. No further attacks were made and the ships returned to Scapa Flow arriving at 0500/15th.

West Coast
Norwegian steamer BOKN was damaged by German bombing off St Ives (Cornwall). The steamer returned to St Ives.

Med/Biscay
BC RENOWN, CVs ARK ROYAL and VICTORIOUS, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, HESPERUS, and WISHART departed Gibraltar to fly off 47 Hurricanes to Malta on the 14th in Operation TRACER.
Force H.arrived back at Gibraltar on the 15th after completing the transfer successfully .

MSW ABERDARE ran aground near Mersa Matruh, but was refloated without serious damage.

ASW trawler JADE was attacked by two Italian MAS boats 17 miles 192 from Cape Passaro at 0220 while searching for downed Hurricane pilot. The British trawler was able to drive off the two Italian craft without damage to herself, but Midshipman J.C. Creasy RNR, was killed by machine gun fire.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 JUNE TO DAWN 14 JUNE 1941
Weather Hot and sunny.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 13 JUNE 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 2 Sunderland. Departures 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron 4 Marylands on reconnaissance.

14 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
1937 Class TB DKM T-14

Neutral
Acceptor Class MSW USS COTINGA (AMc-43)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Hamul Class Destroyer tender USS HAMUL (AD-20)


Vulcan Class Repair Ship USS VULCAN (AR-5)

(USS VULCAN was not struck off until 1992, her last active service being during Operation Desert Storm ).

Allied
Bathurst Class MSW HMAS LITHGOW (J-206)


Losses
U-751 sank Steamer St LINDSAY (UK 5370 grt) in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from the Clyde to Trinidad and Buenos Aires with general cargo. A crew of 47 were embarked, all of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0346 hrs the unescorted St LINDSAY, detached from OG-64, was hit on port side by one G7e torpedo from U-751 while steaming at 9 knots in rough sea about 580 miles east of St. John's, Newfoundland. The U-boat fired the torpedo on the surface from a distance of only 350 meters, remaining unseen in the dark night with low visibility, after earlier having missed the ship with a first torpedo at 0248 hrs. The hit caused a very heavy detonation after which the vessel rapidly settled by the bow and sank vertically with the stern raising out of the water after 80 seconds. It was some time before her lost was known to the allies.


UBOATS
Departures
Kiel : U-71

At Sea 14 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

31 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil at noon to cover convoy EC.32. Departing the convoy in Pentland Firth, the ship arrived in Scapa Flow at noon on the 15th.

West Coast
CVL FURIOUS and CVE ARGUS, Greek liner NEA HELLAS, and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and SIKH arrived in the Clyde.

Indian sloop SUTLEJ departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to join Escort Command after working up. DD ECLIPSE departed Plymouth for Scapa Flow on completion of her refitting. The DD arrived at Greenock on the 15th with engine problems. The DD was able to continue and arrived at Scapa Flow early on the 18th.

DDs ELECTRA, ANTHONY, and ANTELOPE departed the Clyde and topped off fuel at Londonderry to escort a special outbound troop convoy LC.1 of AMC cruisers CALIFORNIA and BULOLO for Halifax, BULOLO on to Baltimore for refitting, steamer MENDOZA for Montreal, and steamer ULYSSES EN.route to the Far East.

On the 17th the DDs parted company with the convoy and steamer ULYSSES was detached for independent passage. DDs ELECTRA and ANTHONY proceeded to Scapa Flow and DD ANTELOPE to Iceland. BB REVENGE joined the convoy on the 19th and escorted the convoy to Canada. DD ANTELOPE arrived at Hvalfjord on the 19th.En route to Scapa Flow, DDs ELECTRA and ANTHONY were detailed to search for a submarine reported by aircraft in 56-10N, 10-58W. The search continued until the 20th.
DD ELECTRA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th. DD ANTHONY arrived at Loch Ewe on the20th to refuel.She then continued and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st.

SW Approaches
Submarine THRASHER departed Holy Loch for Gibraltar, arriving on the 20th.

OG-65 departed Liverpool, escort DD WESTCOTT, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes MARIGOLD and PERIWINKLE, and ASW trawlers SYRINGA and HOLLY.
Corvettes AURICULA, FREESIA, and HIBISCUS and ASW trawler RUMBA joined on the 15th.

Trawler RUMBA was detached later on the 15th, DD WESTCOTT and corvettes AURICULA, FREESIA, HIBISCUS, MARIGOLD, and PERIWINKLE were detached on the 17th.Sloop DEPTFORD was detached on the 18th. Submarine OLYMPUS and corvettes GERANIUM, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA joined the convoy on the 22nd, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th with sloop DEPTFORD, ASW trawlers SYRINGA and HOLLY, whalers GOS 2 and GOS 3, and corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL and submarine OLYMPUS.

HG.65 departed Gibraltar, escort sloop WELLINGTON, submarine OLYMPUS, corvettes GERANIUM, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA, and anti-submarine trawler LADY HOGARTH. DD FORTUNE departed Gibraltar on the 15th and joined the convoy for passage to the UK for refitting. The trawler was detached on the 20th and the remainder of the escort, less sloop WELLINGTON, was detached on the 22nd. DDs CHELSEA, MANSFIELD, and VERITY, corvettes BEGONIA and JASMINE, and CAM ship SPRINGBANK joined the convoy on the 25th. DD VETERAN joined on the 26th.
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

Med/Biscay
Submarine SEVERN departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

DDs JERVIS and GRIFFIN bombarded Sidon to ease opposition for the troops ashore. Two Vichy DDs were sighted by DD GRIFFIN off Beirut at 1620. When CL LEANDER closed to engage the DDs, the Vichy DDs retreated into the harbour.

Submarine CLYDE sank steamer GIOVANNI BOTTIGLIERE (formerly GUGLIELMO) (FI 331grt) sth of Sardinia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Pacific/Australia
Swedish steamer NINGPO was damaged by a mine at Singapore when she picked up a floating mine in her screw. The steamer was towed to Hong Kong for repairs.

Malta
Weather Hot and sunny.
No air raids.

0315 hrs One Bombay crashes into the sea off Marsaxlokk with the loss of all crew.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 14 JUNE 1941
AIR HQ Arrivals 43 Hurricane, 4 Hudson. Departures 1 Wellington, 1 Sunderland, 21 Hurricane. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands on reconnaissance.

HAL FAR 11 Hurricanes with Long Range Ferry tanks tanks arrived at Hal Far from Gibraltar.

15 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Hamul Class AD (Destroyer Tender) USS MARKAB (AD 21)

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-123

At Sea 15 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
FV AUDACIOUS (UK 7 grt) was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. One crewman was rescued from the fishing vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Patrol
CL EDINBURGH and DD INGLEFIELD departed Iceland.

Northern Waters
DD INTREPID arrived at Scapa Flow from the Humber where she fitted TSDS equipment. DD CHARLESTOWN arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after refitting prior to rejoining the Minelaying Force at Loch Alsh.

West Coast
OB.336 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN. The convoy was joined on the 16th by DDs LINCOLN and SHIKARI. On the 17th, DDs SABRE and VENOMOUS, CAM ship PEGASUS, corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN joined the convoy.MSWs GOSSAMER, HAZARD, and HEBE were with the convoy on the 18th. The convoy was dispersed on the 22nd.

SW Approaches
Submarine THUNDERBOLT unsuccessfully attacked U.557 in the SW Approaches

Med/Biscay
Bombarding Sidon, CLA PHOEBE, CL LEANDER and DDs ILEX, HASTY, and ISIS off Syria were attacked by Vichy and LW bombers. ISIS was damaged by the LW from a near miss at 1700. The DD proceeded to Haifa, escorted by CLA COVENTRY. DD ISIS departed Haifa on 26 July, escorted by corvette HYACINTH, for Alexandria. The DD was able to depart Alexandria on 8 August for the transit of the Suez Canal. ISIS in company with DD NUBIAN (damaged in the Cretan battles) arrived at Bombay on 27 September. DD ISIS departed Bombay on 2 October for Colombo. DD ISIS then transferred to Singapore on 13 October for repairs. The DD was still under repair at Singapore on 17 January 1942. On that date, she was damaged by Japanese bombing. The destroyer was towed in February by DD ELECTRA to Batavia arriving on 7 February and later in the month by British steamer MALANCHA to Colombo. Her repairs were completed in March 1942.

DD ILEX was also by Vichy AF bombing at 1900 and taken to Haifa. Partly towed by DD HASTY and finally under her own power at daylight on the 16th. ILEX was towed from Haifa on the 28th by DD DECOY and escorted by CLA CARLISLE and DDs HOTSPUR and HMAS NIZAM. On arrival at Port Said, NIZAM proceeded to Alexandria. CLA CARLISLE and DDs HOTSPUR and DECOY returned to Haifa.

DD ILEX departed Port Said on 20 July after temporary repairs and arrived at Aden on 24 July. She departed Aden on 15 September and proceeded to Mombasa with engine room problems. The DD arrived at Durban in November and departed on 5 February. The DD departed Simonstown on 11 February for Freetown and finally Charlestown, South Carolina, arriving on 14 March 1942. Repairs were completed in October. There were only two minor injuries from the damage of the two destroyers.

DD JACKAL was struck on the upper deck by a bomb which passed through the deck and into the sea. The bomb exploded in the sea causing superficial damage. The DD spent no time out of service.

Central Atlantic
AO LOTHRINGEN (DKM 10,746 grt) surrendered when she was intercepted in Operation SALVAGE by CL DUNEDIN and a/c from CVL EAGLE of Force F in the Central Atlantic, aided by Enigma intelligence. The tanker was taken for British use and renamed EMPIRE SALVAGE.


BC RENOWN, CVs ARK ROYAL and VICTORIOUS, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FEORESIGHT, FORESTER, and HESPERUS departed Gibraltar for a position in the Central Atlantic. CV VICTORIOUS and DD HESPERUS were detached to return to the UK.

Pacific/Australia
CL EMERALD, which departed Basra on the 1st for Singapore, collided with CL DAUNTLESS, which departed Singapore on the 15th, near Malacca Light. Both ships were slightly damaged and repaired at Singapore. CL DAUNTLESS had one rating killed. CL EMERALD had twelve ratings injured and one Marine died of injuries. EMERALD was under repair until 2 August. DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore on the 17th June and was under repair until 13 August.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 JUNE TO DAWN 16 JUNE 1941

Weather Cloudy; rain overnight.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 15 JUNE 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 2 Bombay, 2 Wellington. Departures 2 Wellingtons, 28 Hurricanes left for Middle East; 7 Hurricanes turned back after losing lead Wellington in cloud. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands on reconnaissance.