Background
Events - December 1941-February 1942
Pearl
Harbor
attacked, Loss of 'Repulse' & 'Prince
of Wales', Singapore falls, 'Channel Dash' by
German big ships, to February 1942
1941
Monday,
15 December
Heavy cruiser BERWICK
departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord.
_____
Destroyer WHEATLAND
departed Scapa Flow at 0840 and arrived at Lerwick at
1700. The
destroyer sailed in company that day with submarine P.37
and arrived back at
Scapa Flow at 1400/16th.
_____
Destroyers MONTROSE and
WORCESTER departed
Sheerness for Scapa Flow for Operation ANKLET. The
destroyers called at
Invergordon on the 16th and departed on the 17th.
Both destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow on the 17th.
_____
Convoy ON.47 departed
Liverpool. The convoy was joined on the 16th by
destroyer
ROXBOROUGH, sloop COMMANDANT DETROYAT, and corvettes
HEATHER, LOBELIA, and
NARCISSUS. American destroyers BENSON, EDISON, HILARY P.
JONES, NIBLACK, and
TARBELL joined on the 22nd. The escorts were detached
when the convoy
dispersed on the 23rd.
_____
Destroyer LAMERTON
departed Falmouth for
Scapa Flow for
Operation ANKLET. The destroyer arrived on the 17th.
_____
Polish destroyer KRAKOWIAK
departed Plymouth at 1900 for Scapa Flow, arriving on
the 17th.
_____
Submarine TUNA arrived at
Scapa Flow from the
Clyde for Operation
ARCHERY.
_____
Minesweeper HARRIER
departed the Humber at 1600 acting as additional escort for convoy FN 78 until its
arrival at Methil. Minesweeper HARRIER
and SALAMANDER departed Aberdeen
at 1900/16th for Scapa Flow, where they arrived on the
17th.
_____
Minesweeper SPEEDWELL
departed Greenock after refitting for Scapa
Flow. The minesweeper
arrived on the 17th.
_____
Minesweeper BRITOMART
departed Hartlepool after refitting for Scapa Flow.
_____
Canadian troop convoy TC
16 departed Halifax with
steamers CUBA (11,337grt), LETITIA (13,595grt), and
PASTEUR
(29,253grt). The convoy was escorted by US destroyers
ERICCSON, INGRAHAM, and LUDLOW from 15 to 16 December.
On the 16th, battleship
ARKANSAS, light cruiser NASHVILLE, and destroyers
ERICCSON, LUDLOW, INGRAHAM, LIVERMORE, EBERLE, and
HAMILTON
escorted the convoy until 22 December. This escort
group, less INGRAHAM,
arrived at Hvalfjord on the 23rd. On the 25th, the group
departed Hvalfjord
for Argentia.
On the 22nd, destroyers
BLYSKAWICA, HAVELOCK, NEWPORT, and SHERWOOD joined the
convoy.
_____
Destroyers HERO and HASTY
arrived at Alexandria after escorting empty store ships
from Tobruk.
_____
Light cruisers NAIAD and
EURYALUS, antiaircraft
cruiser CARLISLE, and destroyers JERVIS, KIMBERLEY,
KINGSTON, KIPLING, NIZAM, HAVOCK, HASTY, and DECOY
departed
Alexandria to escort supply ship BRECONSHIRE from
Alexandria to Malta.
At dark on the 16th,
antiaircraft cruiser CARLISLE and destroyer HASTY were detached to
Alexandria with destroyer
KINGSTON because she did not have the power to keep up.
Radio deception was being
conducted by minelayer
ABDIEL and by antiaircraft CARLISLE and destroyer
KINGSTON, returning to Alexandria, to convince the
Italians that the Battle Squadron
was also at sea.
Submarines UNBEATEN and
UTMOST in the Gulf of
Taranto area reported Italian heavy naval forces at sea.
On the 16th, light
cruisers AURORA and PENELOPE and
destroyers LANCE and LIVELY at 1100 and destroyers SIKH,
MAORI, LEGION, and
ISAAC SWEERS at 1800 departed Malta to meet supply ship
BRECONSHIRE. The destroyer
group from Malta joined CS 15 with light cruisers NAIAD and EURYALUS, and destroyers
JERVIS, KIMBERLEY,
KIPLING, NIZAM, HAVOCK, and DECOY at daylight on
the 17th.
On the 17th, German
reconnaissance sighted Vian's
force proceeding towards Malta.
1ST
BATTLE OF SIRTE
Supply ship BRECONSHIRE,
escorted by destroyers
DECOY and HAVOCK were detached from Vian's force to
avoid contact with the
Italian ships.
When light cruiser AURORA
with Force K.contacted
supply ship BRECONSHIRE, the destroyers DECOY and HAVOCK
joined Force K.for
the return to Malta.
Destroyer KIPLING was
damaged by a near miss of
German bombing on the 17th and sustained one rating
killed. Destroyer JERVIS
sustained one rating wounded by machine gun fire.
Light cruiser NEPTUNE and
destroyers JAGUAR and KANDAHAR departed Malta on the
17th and joined at sea on the 18th.
Light cruiser AJAX was out
of action at Malta with mechanical defects.
Destroyer GRIFFIN join
antiaircraft ship CARLISLE returning to Alexandria.
On the 18th, U.371 fired
torpedoes at the cruisers
NAIAD and EURYALUS group returning to Alexandria.
Destroyer JERVIS reported
sinking the submarine in
31-27N, 29-20E, but submarine U.371 escaped damage.
Supply ship BRECONSHIRE,
Force K.and Force B
groups, anddestroyers DECOY and HAVOCK arrived at Malta
at 1500/18th. The destroyers SIKH, MAORI, and
ISAAC SWEERS joined the Mediterranean Fleet. The
Mediterranean Fleet arrived back
at Alexandria during the night of 18/19 December.
_____
Australian destroyer
NESTOR sank U.127 off Cape St Vincent, in 36-28N, 9-12W.
The entire crew of fifty one
were lost in the submarine.
_____
Sub Lt K. W. Jones, Sub Lt
T. E. Richards, and Leading
Airman E. Kennelly were killed when their Albacore of
826 Squadron failed to
return from a bombing raid on Derna.
_____
Submarine
TORBAY sank three
small Greek caiques off Cape Methene for 50, 42, and 15 tons, respectively.
_____
Submarine UNA, which had
departed Holy Loch on the 5th, reported
being attacked by a submarine in 43-00N, 10-30W. The
submarine arrived at Gibraltar on the 19th.
_____
Convoy AT.4 departed
Alexandria for Tobruk. The fast section was escorted by
destroyer HEYTHROP, anti-submarine trawler WOLBOROUGH,
and anti-submarine
whaler SOUTHERN ISLES.
The slow section was
escorted by destroyers HERO
and AVONVALE and anti-submarine trawler COCKER. The slow
section arrived on
the 19th. Destroyers HERO and AVONVALE immediately
sailed to conduct an
anti-submarine sweep in the Alexandria area.
_____
T/Sub Lt (A) K. W. Jones
RNVR, and T/A/Sub Lt (A)
T. E. Richards RNVR, of 826 Squadron from GREBE, were
lost when their
Albacore aircraft went missing while on patrol.
_____
Submarine
OLYMPUS departed Gibraltar with
petrol and stores for Malta, arriving on the 21st.
_____
Australian sloop YARRA
passed through the Suez Canal to return to Australia.
Sloop YARRA arrived at
Colombo on the 30th and Batavia on 11 January for escort
duties.
_____
U.77 sank Steamer EMPIRE
BARRACUDA (4972grt),
escorted by destroyer WISHART and corvettes GERANIUM,
AZALEA, and COLTSFOOT,
in 35-30N, 6-17W. The submarine claimed sinking another
steamer.
Thirteen crew were lost on
the steamer. Corvette
COLTSFOOT picked up thirty nine survivors and took them
to Gibraltar.
_____
Submarine UNIQUE arrived
at Malta after patrol off Cape Del Armi.
_____
Convoy HX.165 departed
Halifax, escorted by destroyer HAMILTON and corvettes
KAMLOOPS and SASKATOON, and minesweeper COWICHAN. These
ships were
detached on the 17th when relieved by American
destroyers BUCK, GREER, HERBERT, MCCORMICK, and SWANSON.
The
American ships were relieved on the 24th by destroyer
BOADICEA, sloop
COMMANDANT DETROYAT, and corvettes HEATHER and
NARCISSUS. Corvette LOBELIA
joined on the 25th. Corvette HEATHER was detached on the
26th, corvette
NARCISSUS on the 27th, and the destroyer, the sloop, and
corvette LOBELIA on
the 28th. The convoy was joined by anti-submarine
trawler MOLDE on the 30th
and arrived at Liverpool that day.
_____
Indian sloops SUTLEJ and JUMNA and Australian
minesweepers BATHURST and LISMORE were ordered to sail
for India from the Suez Escort Force.
_____
Australian heavy cruiser
CANBERRA and light cruiser
PERTH departed Sydney to join US heavy cruiser PENSACOLA
escorting a convoy
of BLOEMFONTEIN (10,081grt), COAST FARMER (3290grt),
MEIGS (12,568grt),
WILLARD A. HOLBROOK (14,812grt), REPUBLIC (17,886grt),
ADMIRAL HALSTEAD
(3289grt), and CHAUMONT (7555grt) and gunboat NIAGARA,
which had departed San
Francisco on 21 November for the Philippines.
On the 8th, the convoy had
been diverted to Fiji. The gunboat was detached en route
and arrived
back at Pearl Harbour on the 15th.
On the 16th, New Zealand
light cruiser ACHILLES departed Auckland to join.
On the 19th, the
Australian cruisers joined the
convoy at Suva to bring it to Brisbane.
On the 21st, cruisers
CANBERRA and ACHILLES refuelled at Moreton Bay.
The convoy and escorts arrived at Brisbane on the 22nd.
On the 22nd, cruisers
CANBERRA, PERTH, ACHILLES, and PENSACOLA departed for
Sydney, arriving on the 24th.
_____
Motor torpedo boats MTB.10
and MTB.26 were damagedin Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong, by Japanese air
attack.
_____
Tug INDIRA (637grt) was
sunk by Japanese bombing at
Hong Kong.
Tuesday,
16 December
Light cruiser SHEFFIELD
departed Murmansk to return to Scapa Flow.
_____
Landing ships PRINCESS
CHARLOTTE and PRINCE ALBERT, escorted by Polish
destroyer KUJAWIAK, departed Greenock for Scapa Flow. PRINCESS
CHARLOTTE returned to Greenock later in the day with
defects. PRINCE ALBERT and KUJAWIAK arrived at
Scapa Flow on the 17th.
_____
Minesweeper SPEEDWELL
departed Greenock and survey ship SCOTT departed Loch Alsh at 1730 for
Scapa Flow, where they
both arrived on the 17th.
_____
Minesweeper BRITOMART
arrived at Scapa Flow at 1030 from Hartlepool on
completion of her refitting.
_____
Submarine TIGRIS departed
Scapa Flow for Operation
ANKLET, but the submarine was ordered to return on the
17th, arriving late
that day.
_____
While on passage in an
aircraft of 24 Squadron, Lt
P. L. Field, en route to DOLPHIN, and T/Lt Cdr E.
Croghan RNVR, en route to
PRESIDENT, were lost in an air crash.
_____
Italian steamers
MONGINEVRO, NAPOLI, and VETTOR PISANI, escorted by destroyers VIVALDI, DA NOLI, DA
RECCO, MALOCELLO, PESSAGNO, and ZENO departed
Taranto to Tripoli.
Italian steamer ANKARA,
escorted by destroyer SAETTA and torpedo boat
PEGASO departed Taranto for Tripoli.
Battleship DUILO, light
cruisers DUCA D'AOSTA,
ATTENDOLO, and MONTECUCCOLI, and destroyers ASCARI,
AVIERE, and CAMICIA NERA
departed Taranto as close cover.
Distant cover is provided
by battleships DORIA,
CESARE, and LITTORIO, heavy cruisers GORIZIA and TRENTO, and destroyers GRANATIERE, BERSAGLIERE, ALPINO, FUCLIERE,
CORAZZIERE, CARABINIERE, USODIMARE, MAESTRALE, ORIANI,
and GIOBERTI.
On the 16th, Submarine
UPROAR unsuccessfully
attacked a group of three westbound cruisers in the Gulf
of
Taranto.
_____
On the 18th, steamer
ANKARA broke off for Benghazi. The other three steamers
reached Tripoli safely.
_____
U.557 was sunk in a
collision with Italian torpedo
boat ORIONE off Salamis, in 35-33N, 23-14E. The entire
crew of forty three
were lost in the submarine.
_____
Destroyers FOXHOUND,
NESTOR, CROOME, and GURKHA
arrived at Gibraltar from the UK, conducting an
anti-submarine sweep ahead of HG.76
en route.
_____
Minelayer MANXMAN arrived
at Gibraltar from the UK, carrying depth charge
replenishments. The
minelayer departed the next day to return to Milford
Haven.
_____
Convoy SC.60 departed
Sydney, CB, escorted by corvettes KAMSACK, and
SHAWNIGAN,
and minesweepers MALPEQUE, MINAS, and THUNDER. These
escorts were relieved on
the 18th by destroyer SAGUENAY and corvettes CAMROSE,
DAUPHIN, SHEDIAC, and
SPIKENARD. Corvette WETASKIWIN joined on the 19th.
Corvettes CAMROSE and
SHEDIAC were detached on the 27th and destroyer CALDWELL
joined. SPIKENARD and WETASKIWIN were detached on
the 28th and corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER joined. The
last three escorts
joining arrived at Liverpool with the convoy on the
31st.
_____
Convoy BA.11 departed
Bombay, escorted by light cruiser CALEDON. The convoy
arrived at Aden on the 21st.
_____
Japanese minelayer
SHIRATAKA and fourteen
transports departed Palau escorted by the 2nd Destroyer
Flotilla with light
cruiser JINTSU and destroyers KUROSHIO, OYASHIO,
HAYASHIO, and NATSUSHIO of
the 15th Destroyer Division and AMATSUKAZE and HATSUKAZE
of the 16th
Destroyer Division. The movement was covered by heavy
cruisers MYOKO, HAGURO,
and NACHI, aircraft carrier RYUJO with attendant
destroyer SHIOKAZE, and
seaplane carrier CHITOSE. The troops were landed at
Mindanao on 19/20 December.
_____
Motor torpedo boat MTB.8
(Lt L. D. Kilbee HgKgNVR) was destroyed by a
fire during Japanese bombing at Hong Kong.
_____
Light cruiser DANAE
departed Trincomalee for Singapore.
_____
Destroyer SCOUT arrived at
Tanjong Priok from Singapore.
_____
Six hundred and fifty
Dutch and Australian troops
were moved from Koepang to Dili on Steamer CANOPUS
(1337grt), escorted by
Dutch coastal defense ship SOERBAYA.
_____
American aircraft carrier
YORKTOWN and destroyers HUGHES, RUSSELL, SIMS, WALKE, departed
Norfolk, Virginia, and sailed for
operations in the Pacific. The
carrier and destroyers transited the Panama Canal on the
20th and arrived at San Diego on the 30th.
_____
American heavy cruiser
LOUISVILLE arrived at Pearl Harbour with Army transports HUGH L. SCOTT (12,579grt) and PRESIDENT COOLIDGE
(21,936grt), which she had brought from
Manila, via Tarakan.
_____
American convoy 2005
departed San Francisco with transports LURLINE,
MATSONIA, and MONTEREY escorted by Task Group 15. 6 of
light cruiser ST LOUIS and destroyers PRESTON and SMITH.
_____
American submarine
SWORDFISH sank Japanese
transport ATSUTASAN MARU (8663grt) south of Samah at
18-06N, 109-44E.
Wednesday,
17 December
Heavy cruiser BERWICK
arrived at Hvalfjord and
departed later that day for patrol in the Denmark Strait
to relieve heavy cruiser NORFOLK, which arrived back at
Hvalfjord on the 18th.
_____
Norwegian corvettes
ACANTHUS and EGLANTINE and
auxiliary ship GUDRUN MAERSK arrived at Scapa Flow for
Operation ANKLET.
_____
Polish destroyer
BLYSKAWICA departed Scapa Flow at 1630 for Hvalfjord and
join Commander in Chief,
Western Approaches to form part of the escort for convoy
TC 16.
_____
During the night of 17/18
December, German
battleship GNEISENAU was damaged by near misses at
Brest.
_____
U.108 attacked convoy
HG.76 and claimed sinking a
steamer.
_____
U.131 was sunk by
destroyers EXMOOR, BLANKNEY, and STANLEY,
sloop STORK, corvette PENTSTEMON, and aircraft from
escort carrier AUDACITY,
escorting convoy HG.76, west of Madiera, 34-18N,
13-58W. T/Sub Lt (A) G. R. P. Fletcher RNVR, in a
Martlet of 802 Squadronfrom aircraft carrier AUDACITY
was shot down by the
submarine and lost. The entire crew of fifty five were
picked up from the
submarine.
_____
Italian tanker LINA
(2175grt) was sunk by British
bombing northwest of Tripoli
in 33-58N, 12-03E.
_____
Submarine URSULA departed
Gibraltar for patrol in the Bay of Biscay.
_____
Minelayer TEVIOT BANK laid
mines in Durian Straits.
_____
Dutch light cruiser JAVA,
after escorting convoy SM
1, examined Christmas
Island for possible enemy
activity.
_____
Japanese destroyer
SHINONOME was sunk by Dutch
bombing off Miri in 4-24N, 114E.
_____
Twenty one Japanese
transports departed Keelung, Formosa, for landings at
Lingayen, escorted by destroyer
YAMAGUMO and torpedo boats CHIDORI, HATSUKARI,
MANADZURU, and TOMODZURU.
On the 18th, twenty seven
transports of the
1stForce departed Takao, Formosa, escorted by light
cruiser NATORI, destroyers
FUMITSUKI, SATSUKI, NAGATSUKI, MINATSUKI, HARUKAZE,
HATAKAZE, and two
minesweepers.
Twenty eight transports of
the 2nd Force departed
escorted by light cruiser NAKA, destroyers MURASAME,
YUDACHI, HARUSAME,
SAMIDARE, ASAGUMO, MINEGUMO, and NATSUGUMO, five
minesweepers, and six submarine
chasers.
Heavy cruisers ASHIGARA
and MAYA and light cruiser
KUMA provided cover for the operation.
Kondo was covering in the
west part of the South China Sea, to be able to also
cover the Borneo landings.
_____
Destroyer THRACIAN,
repairing damage of her 14
December grounding, was damaged by Japanese bombing at
Hong Kong.
_____
American convoy 2004
departed San Francisco with transports HARRIS, TASKER H.
BLISS, and
PRESIDENT GARFIELD, caro ship ALDEBARAN, and tankers
PLATTE and SABINE escorted by light cruiser
PHOENIX and destroyers
CUSHING and PERKINS. The convoy
arrived at Pearl Harbour on the 24th.
_____
American steamer
CORREGIDOR (1881grt) was sunk on a mine laid by Japanese
submarine I.124 in Manila Bay on the 8th.
About five hundred people were lost on the steamer.
_____
Japanese submarine RO.66
was sunk in a collision
with Japanese submarine RO.62 off Wake Island.
_____
Japanese submarine I.75
sank American steamer
MANINI (3253grt) 17-46N, 157-03W, one hundred and eight
miles south of Hawaii. Two crew were lost on the
steamer. One boat of
survivors were rescued by destroyer ALLEN on the 27th.
Destroyer PATTERSON
rescued nineteen survivors on the 28th.
Thursday,
18 December
Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK
reported serious defects in her port shafts.
On the 21st, the cruiser
sailed to the Tyne for repairs, arriving that day.
_____
Destroyer ONSLOW departed
Rosyth at 1630 on
completion of boiler cleaning and repairs and arrived at
Scapa Flow at 0930/19th.
_____
U.434 was sunk by
destroyers STANLEY and BLANKNEY,
escorting convoy HG.76, southwest of Cape St Vincent in
36-15N, 15-48W. BLANKNEY was damaged from ramming
the
submarine. She was repaired at Gibraltar
completing on 9 February. Two crew were lost in the
submarine. Forty four
survivors were picked up.
_____
Soviet steamer PEREKOP
(2493grt) was sunk by
Japanese bombing near Senoa, east coast of Natuna
Island.
_____
Late on the 18th, Italian
submarine SCIRE launched
three SLC's into Alexandria Harbour and returned to port.
Battleship VALIANT was
damaged forward at 0606 on
the 19th. The battleship was docked on the 21st.
Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH
was holed in the boiler
rooms at 0610. Naval constructors wanted to strip the
battleship and use her
as a depot ship because of the extent of the damage.
Nine ratings were killed
in the battleship.
Submarines TRUSTY and
TRIUMPH were brought
alongside either side of battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH to
provide electricity. Submarine TRUSTY departed
at 1435 that day, but submarine TRIUMPH remained until
0635/22nd.
Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH
was docked on 4 April.
After temporary repairs, battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH was
taken in September
1942 to Norfolk, Virginia. Repairs were completed in
June 1943.
Battleship VALIANT pumped
out her fuel into tankers
CLYDEFIELD and CHERRYLEAF. She was docked at 0950/21st
and after temporary
repairs departed on 8 April for repair at Durban.
Norwegian tanker SAGONA
(7554grt) had her stern
blown off from the explosion of an SLC at 0547.
Destroyer JERVIS moored alongside was
badly damaged by the explosion.
Destroyer JERVIS was
docked on the 20th. Repairs
were completed on 28 January.
Italian submarine ZAFFIRO
was off Alexandria to pick up the Italian SLC crew, but
none returned.
_____
In attack on an Italian
convoy, Lt E. A. Greenwood
and Lt Cdr D. E. Langmore, of 828 Squadron from ST
ANGELO, were lost when
their Albacore crashed into the sea.
Langmore was the Commanding Officer of the 828 Squadron.
_____
Convoy ST.11 departed
Freetown, escorted by corvettes JASMINE and ROCKROSE.
The
convoy was dispersed on the 20th.
_____
Destroyers ENCOUNTER,
after convoy SM 1 duty, and
THANET coming from Hong
Kong, via Tarakan,
arrived at Singapore.
Friday,
19 December
Submarine
TIGRIS depared Scapa Flow for
Operation ANKLET.
_____
Minesweeper HALCYON, to be
employed in operation
ANKLET, arrived at Scapa
Flow at 1030.
_____
Minesweepers BRITOMART and
SALAMANDER departed Scapa Flow at 1730 for Seidisfjord
and join the escort for
convoy PQ.7. The minesweepers arrived on the 21st.
_____
Convoy ON.48 departed
Liverpool. The convoy was joined on the 19th by destroy
CALDWELL and coevettes GARDENIA, GENTIAN, HONEYSUCKLE,
and
VERVAIN. Destroyer CALDWELL was detached on the 24th.
Corvette BATTLEFORD
joined on the 24th. On the 26th, the original four
corvettes were relieved by
destroyer ST
LAURENT and
corvettes BUTOUCHE, HEPATICA, MOOSE JAW, and PICTOU. The
destroyer and
corvettes HEPATICA and MOOSE JAW were detached later
that day. Corvette
BUTOUCHE was detached on the 28th, corvette PICTOU on
the 30th and corvette
BATTLEFORD on the 31st when the convoy was dispersed.
_____
Submarine P.35 arrived at
Gibraltar from
Dundee.
_____
Lt J. D. Parker and
Captain K. L. Ford, RM, was
killed in a crash of a Lysander of 755 Squadron at North
Moulton, near Chivnor.
_____
British tanker LUCELLUM
(9425grt) was damaged by
German bombing five miles from 270° Bardsey
Island. Six crew and two gunners were lost on the tanker.
_____
British fishing vessel
MOUETTE (3grt) was sunk on a
mine in Blue Anchor Bay, Minehead. Two crew
were lost.
_____
U.108 sank Steamer
RUCKINGE (2869grt) in 38-20N,
17-15W from convoy HG.76. The submarine claimed sinking
another steamer. The
survivors were rescued by Steamer FINLAND (1333grt) and
sloop STORK. The
steamer was scuttled by corvette SAMPHIRE.
_____
Destroyer STANLEY (Lt Cdr
D. B. Shaw OBE),
escorting convoy HG.76,was sunk by U.574 in 38-12N,
17-23W southwest of Portugal.
Shaw, P/T/Surgeon Lt A. R.
Barrett RNVR, Lt C. E.
M. Crabtree, T/Warrant Engineer S. F. Finch, T/Lt J. S.
Petrie RNVR, (on
passage to DRAKE) Paymaster Lt R. W. Robb RNVR, (on
passage to SPARTIATE),
T/Gunner (T) W. W. Turner, T/Lt (E) A. S. Watkins (from
ARK ROYAL), T/Sub Lt
W. M. Watson RNVR, Lt (E) W. E. G. Waycott (from ARK
ROYAL), two Marines, and
one hundred and twenty one ratings were lost in the
destroyer. (DDD – does on passage apply to name ahead or
after?)
One rating died of wounds
after being rescued.
_____
U.574 was sunk by sloop
STORK, escorting convoy
HG.76, off Punta Delgada. Twenty two
crew were lost in the submarine. Five additional crew
were lost when sloops
STORK and DEPTFORD collided. Four officers and sixteen
ratings were rescued.
_____
At 1800/18th, light
cruisers NEPTUNE, AURORA, and
PENELOPE and destroyers KANDAHAR, LANCE, HAVOCK, and
LIVELY departed Malta to
strike at an Italian convoy of Italian steamers
MONGINEVRO, NAPOLI, and
VETTOR PISANI, escorted by destroyers VIVALDI, DA NOLI,
DA RECCO, MALOCELLO,
PESSAGNO, and ZENO off Tripoli.
Light cruiser AURORA was
badly damaged by mining at
0112 on the 19th and light cruiser PENELOPE was lightly
damaged at 0108 when
a mine exploded in her paravane. There were no
casualties in light cruisers
AURORA or PENELOPE.
Light cruiser AURORA was
under repair at Malta until March.
Light cruiser NEPTUNE
(Captain R. C. O'Conor)
struck a mines at 0111, 0112, 0125, and 0400.
Destroyer KANDAHAR (Cdr W.
G. A. Robson) struck a mine at 0304 trying
to tow NEPTUNE.
Light cruiser AURORA was
escorted to Malta by destroyers LANCE and HAVOCK.
Light cruiser PENELOPE and
destroyer LIVELY
returned to Malta when they found they could not safely enter the minefield to assist
the damaged ships.
Light cruiser PENELOPE and
destroyer LIVELY joined
light cruiser AURORA en route. The two cruisers and
three destroyers arrived
at 1230/19th.
Light cruiser NEPTUNE and
destroyer KANDAHAR were both sunk.
Lt P. C. R. Arbuthnot,
Midshipman C. D. E. Babcock,
Midshipman P. H. C. Bastable, Cdr P. A. Berry, Sub Lt D.
R. L. Bevan, A/Lt D.
J. Bullimore SARNVR, T/Lt R. T. Coulton RNVR, Lt D. C.
Cunningham, T/Gunner
(T) E. T. Edmans, Midshipman M. A. S. Ensell, Warrant
Mechanician M. W.
Evans, Midshipman D. B. Forbes, T/Surgeon Lt C. Fraser
RNVR, Lt (E) G. E. A.
Freeland, Chaplain the Reverend T. Harris, Lt H. D.
Hartnoll DSC, RM, Lt A.
B. Hill RNVR, T/A/Warrant Shipwright H. Hoar, Midshipman
D. R. Holloway,
Engineering Cdr A. Holt, Midshipman D. A. Houston, Lt
(E) F. A. V. Jackson,
Midshipman D. A. Jay, Lt (E) J. M. Knowles, Commissioned
Gunner C. K. Laban,
A/Surgeon Cdr T. C. Larkworthy RNVR, Midshipman B. E.
McPherson, NZNF,
A/Paymaster Cdr J. H. McGregor, Midshipman A. A.
Markwick, T/Paymaster Lt M.
B. H. Marshall RNVR, Paymaster Midshipman M. G. H.
Mawson, Midshipman P. B.
Medicott-Vereker, Schoolmaster D. Metcalf, A/Captain N.
L. W. Millar, RM, Lt
the Right Hon. J. D. North (Baron North, T/Instructor Lt
W. H. Osborne,
Gunner F. C. Prince, T/Surgeon Lt E. B. Riding RNVR,
Paymaster Midshipman E.
C. Robinson, Warrant Engineer E. W. E. Sainty, T/Lt (E)
I. B. Tetley,
Paymaster Lt B. M. Thomson, NZNF, Warrant Electrician V.
T. W. J. Wilks, T/Lt
D. J. Wilson RNVR, Lt F. A. Woodward, Lt F. H. Wright
RNVR, six hundred and
forty four ratings, and seventy three Marines were lost
on the cruiser.
O'Conor died on the 23rd
while still on a raft. The
sole survivor, Able Bodied Seaman J. N. Walton,from the
cruiser was picked up
by an Italian torpedo boat about 1600/24th.
From destroyer KANDAHAR,
Lt M. R. Gibson-Watt DSC, Midshipman L. J. Tatham
RAN, and sixty eight ratings were missing. Two ratings
were killed.
Destroyer JAGUAR sent from
Malta to locate destroyer KANDAHAR picked up eight
officers and 157 ratings from the
destroyer.
_____
Submarine UPRIGHT arrived
at Malta from patrol south of Cape St Vito.
_____
Destroyers GRIFFIN, HASTY,
and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria on an anti-submarine
sweep.
_____
Italian steamer FERRUCCIO
(83grt) was sunk in a
collision at Tripoli.
_____
U.652 sank Soviet steamer
VARLAAM AVANESOV
(6775grt) in 39-27N, 26-05E. The entire crew were
rescued.
_____
Gunboat TERN (T/A/Lt G. M.
Horey RNVR), minelayer REDSTART (Lt
Cdr H. C. S. Selby Rtd), and boom vessels ALDGATE,
BARLIGHT, and WATERGATE were
scuttled at Hong Kong. Horey and
Selby were taken prisoner when Hong Kong fell.
_____
Japanese submarine I.72
sank American steamer PRUSA
(5113grt) 17-30N, 157W one hundred and fifty miles south
of Hawaii. Eight crew
were lost on the steamer. The fourteen survivors were
rescued by Coast Guard
cutter TIGER. A second group of eleven survivors reached
safety after a 2700
mile voyage, rescued by a Fijian government vessel.
_____
Soviet steamers KRECHET
(2282grt), SERGEI LAZO
(2975grt), SIMFEROPOL (2696grt), and SVIRSTROI (4769grt)
were sunk by
Japanese bombing at Hong
Kong.
_____
British ferries MAN
KIM (371grt)
and MAN KUNG (371grt) were scuttled at Hong Kong.
_____
Motor vessels PANDAI
(166grt), RIMAU (214grt),
INTAN (117grt), RASA (217grt), launches BRANI (57grt)
and YEN (20grt), tug
DALMORE (59grt) were seized by Japanese forces at Penang.
_____
British tanker EBONOL
(1158grt) was scuttled at Hong Kong by British forces.
The Japanese refloated the
tanker and took it for their use.
_____
Light cruisers DRAGON and
DURBAN and Australian destroyer VAMPIRE departed
Singapore escorting Steamer ERINPURA (5143grt), carrying
thirty officer and 700 rating survivors from battleship
PRINCE OF WALES and
battlecruiser REPULSE. She also carried some one hundred
and fifty women and
children evacuees.
Heavy cruiser EXETER
relieved the escorts on the 24th. The steamer
arrived at Colombo on the 27th.
Light cruisers DRAGON and
DURBAN and Australian destroyer VAMPIRE called at Padang
on the 29th for fuel, but were unable to obtain
any. The warships went out and met convoy BM.9 A on the
30th.
_____
Destroyer SCOUT and
auxiliary patrol vessels VYNER
BROOKE, MATA HARI, RAUB, and LARUT were ordered to
patrol off Medan and Sabang to prevent enemy access to
North Sumatra, across the Straits of Malacca.
SCOUT departed Singapore on the 20th and arrived at
Sabang on the 21st.
_____
Dutch submarine depot ship
JANSSENS arrived at Singapore. The depot ship departed
on the 22nd carrying
British personnel to man Dutch motor torpedo boats and
light cruiser SUMATRA, which was laid up at Surabaya.
_____
American convoy 4024
departed Pearl
Harbour with transports HUGH L. SCOTT and PRESIDENT COOLIDGE, escorted by
light cruiser DETROIT
and destroyers CUMMINGS and REID. The convoy
arrived at San
Francisco on
the 24th.
Saturday,
20 December
Battleship RODNEY with
destroyers WALKER, VERITY,
and WITHERINGTON departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow. The
Flag of Vice Admiral, Second in Command Home
Fleet was transferred from battlecruiser RENOWN to base
ship DUNLUCE
CASTLE.
Battlecruiser RENOWN with
destroyers MONTROSE,
WORCESTER, and FORESTER departed Scapa Flow at 1500
for position 61-00N, 1430W at 1400/21st. The destroyers
would then join
battleship RODNEY from Reykjavik and escort her back to Scapa Flow.
Battleship RODNEY and the
destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow at 1200/22nd.
Battlecruiser RENOWN with
the V and W.destroyers
proceeded to Hvalfjord, arriving on the 22nd.
_____
Vice Admiral W. E. C. Tait
CB, MVO, appointed Vice
Admiral Command, Third Battle Squadron, and Vice
Admiral, Second in Command
Eastern Fleet. His flag was hoisted in battleship
RESOLUTION.
_____
Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND
reported serious leakages in oil fuel tanks.
_____
Destroyer LAMERTON
departed Scapa Flow at 1300 escorting tanker SAN ZOTICO
(5582grt) to Sullom Voe, arriving on at
Lerwick on the 22nd.
_____
Destroyer WHEATLAND
departed Scapa Flow at 1200 for Greenock to meet and escort landing ship PRINCESS CHARLOTTE for Operation
ANKLET. PRINCESS CHARLOTTE departed Greenock to rendezvous with destroyer WHEATLAND at 1000/21st and proceed to
Sullom Voe, arriving on the 22nd.
_____
In a flying accident, a
Swordfish of 785 Squadron
was lost near Crail. Sub Lt P. Haines died of wounds
from the crash.
_____
Canadian patrol craft
ADVERSUS (Skipper W. R.
Chandler RCNR) was lost when she ran aground in a
blizzard on McNutt's Island, near Shelburne, N. S.
No crew were lost in the
craft.
_____
Destroyers WISHART and
VIDETTE departed Gibraltar to meet arriving Polish
troopship BATORY. They
arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd.
_____
Aircraft carrier ARGUS,
light cruiser HERMIONE, and
a destroyer screen departed Gibraltar to exercise
eastward of Gibraltar.
T/A/Sub Lt (A) R. G.
Southby RNVR, was killed when
his Fulmar of 807 Squadron crashed.
Light cruiser HERMIONE
attacked a doubtful
submarine contact three miles 115° from Europa Point,.
The ships returned
later in the day.
_____
Light cruiser HERMIONE
departed Gibraltar at 2130 to cover the presence of
arriving light
cruiser DIDO from the UK. DIDO
arrived at 2350. HERMIONE arrived back on the 22nd.
_____
Submarine P.35 arrived at
Gibraltar, after departing Dundee on the 7th.
_____
Submarine URGE arrived at
Malta after patrol in the Straits of Messina.
_____
Dutch submarine O.20 was
badly damaged by Japanese
destroyer URANAMI off Kota Bharu. The submarine was
scuttled.
_____
Motor torpedo boats MTB.12
(Lt J. B. Colls HgKgNVR) and MTB.26 (Lt D. W. Wagstaff
HgKgNVF) were lost in an
action with Japanese landing craft at Hong Kong.
Wagstaff was lost in the boat. Motor torpedo boats
MTB.7, MTB.11, and MTB.18 were
damaged.
_____
Minelayer TEVIOT BANK laid
mines in Durian
Strait. From 8 December to 20 December, minelayer TEVIOT BANK and Dutch
minelayer WILLEM VAN DER
ZAAN laid 1158 mines in the Strait. The minelayer
was escorted at various times during these minelays by
destroyer VAMPIRE on
the 14th and gunboat GRASSHOPPER and auxiliary patrol
ships TIEN KWANG, FUH
WO, SHO KWANG, li WO, and MATA HARI.
_____
Japanese submarine I.17
sank American tanker EMIDIO
(6912grt) in 40-30N, 125-00W, twenty miles west of
Blunt's Reef. Five crew were missing on the
tanker. The
survivors managed to make the Blunt's Reef lightship and
were later rescued
by Coast Guard cutter SHAWNEE.
_____
Japanese submarine I.23
damaged with gunfire
American tanker AGWIWORLD (6771grt) in 37N, 122W.
_____
American motor tug JUSTINE
FOSS (39grt) was
captured by Japanese forces near Wake Island.
_____
Steamer TAISHAN (3174grt)
was sunk by Japanese
bombing at Shekko, Tathong Channel.
_____
Steamer MACAU (1665grt)
was scuttled at Hong Kong.
_____
Panamanian steamers
FLORINHA (515grt) and LINDINHA
(531grt) were seized by Japanese forces at Fort
Bayard.
Sunday,
21 December
Destroyer ESKIMO,
escorting landing ship PRINCE
ALBERT and oiler GREY RANGER, departed Scapa Flow at
1600 for Sullom Voe
in Operation ANKLET. The ships arrived on the 22nd.
_____
Submarine SEALION departed
Polyarnoe on patrol off
Vestfjord and participate in Operation ANKLET.
Following the patrol, the
submarine proceeded to
Holy Loch, arriving on 5 January.
_____
Seven British fishing
craft departed the Shetlands
for Operation ANKLET. Six returned to harbour, three
badly damaged and three
slightly damaged by weather. The remaining craft took
shelter. On the 24th, four fishing vessels
departed
the Shetlands for Operation ANKLET.
One fishing vessel returned to Shetlands on the 25th.
_____
Convoy ON.49 departed
Liverpool, escorted by corvette BELLWORT. On the 22nd,
destroyers SABRE and SCIMITAR and corvettes ALISMA and
SUNFLOWER joined.
These ships were relieved on the 27th by American Coast
Guard cutter INGRAM
and destroyhers DALLAS, ELLIS, GLEAVES, and UPSHUR. The
American ships were
detached on 5 January when the convoy was dispersed.
_____
British Petty Officer
Airman L. E. Burston of 881
Squadron was killed when his Martlet flew into a hill at
Rashleigh Farm,
three miles north of Ardrossan.
_____
Steamer BENMACDHUI
(6869grt) was sunk by a mine in
53-40N, 0-30E. Two crew were lost on the steamer.
_____
Greek steamer NELLIE
(4826grt) was damaged by
mining off Spurn Head.
_____
U.567 sank Steamer
ANNAVORE (3324grt) from convoy
HG.76 in 43-55N, 19-50W.
Twenty nine crew, three
gunners, and two passengers
were lost on the steamer.
_____
Auxiliary aircraft carrier
AUDACITY (Cdr D. W.
Mackendrick), escorting convoy HG.76, was sunk by U.741
in 43-55N, 19-50W
west of Portugal.
Mackendrick, Lt J. R. Carden of 802 Squadron, Lt Cdr G.
A. Carline
DSC, T/Paymaster Sub Lt H. G. T. Heale RNR, Junior
Engineer A. S. Lang, Lt A. D. W. Moore,
Sub Lt (A) N. H. Patterson of 802 Squadron, T/Lt (E) S.
N. Robertson RNVR,
T/Surgeon Lt R. Stewart RNVR, T/A/Gunner H. Strickland,
and sixty three
ratings were lost on the aircraft carrier.
T/Lt L. Hix RNVR, was wounded. The survivors were picked
up by
corvettes MARIGOLD and PENTSTEMON.
_____
U.567 was sunk by Sloop
DEPTFORD and corvette
SAMPHIRE, escorting convoy HG.76, north of the Azores. The entire crew of forty seven were lost in the submarine.
_____
U.451 was sunk by a
Swordfish of the 812 Squadron
off Cape Spartel in 35-55N, 6-08W. Forty four
crew were lost in the submarine.
Corvette MYOSOTIS later picked up one survivor, the
first Warrant
Officer, from the submarine.
_____
U.573 sank Norwegian
steamer HELLEN (5289grt)
35-41N, 5-10W four miles from Cape Negro. The entire crew were rescued by anti-submarine ARCTIC RANGER, which
was escorting the steamer.
_____
Convoy AT.5 departed
Alexandria escorted by destroyer HEYTHROP and corvette
SALVIA
with destroyers HASTY and HOTSPUR acted as a striking
force.
Belgian landing ship
PRINCE BADOUIN also departed Alexandria for Tobruk
escorted by destroyers FARNDALE and
ERIDGE. The landing ship arrived at Tobruk on the 22nd
and departed that day
after unloading with the destroyers for Alexandria.
_____
Soviet submarine M.174
sank German steamer EMSHORN
(4301grt) near Petsamo.
_____
Convoy HX.166 departed
Halifax, escorted by minesweepers BURLINGTON and
DRUMMONDVILLE. The minesweepers were detached on the
23rd.
American destroyers BADGER, COLE, DECATUR, and PLUNKETT
joined on the 24th and Coast Guard
cutter CAMPBELL joined on the 25th. Corvettes GARDENIA,
GENTIAN,
and HONEYSUCKLE joined on the 30th. The American ships
were detached on the
31st. Destroyers LEAMINGTON, SABRE, and SCIMITAR joined
on 1 January and
destroyer BELMONT on 2 January. Sloop GARDENIA was
detached on 2 January, destroyers
BELMONT, LEAMINGTON, and SKATE were detached on 3
January, and
destroyer SCIMITAR and corvette GENTIAN on 4 January.
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 January.
_____
Convoy SC.61 departed
Sydney, CB, escorted by
corvette SUDBURY and minesweepers GEORGIAN, MALPQUE,
MINAS, and
NIPIGON. Minesweeper GEORGIAN was detached on the 22nd
and remaining escorts
on the 23rd when relieved by corvettes DAINTHUS, GALT,
LETHBRIDGE, MATAPEDIA, and NANAIMO. Destroyer NIAGARA joined on the 29th and was detached the next day. Corvette MATAPEDIA
was detached on the 31st. The remaining escorts were
detached on 2 January
when destroyers BROKE and CHELSEA
and corvettes CAMILLIA, COLUMBINE, and PIMPERNEL joined.
The convoy arrived
at Liverpool on 7 January 1942.
_____
Convoy BM.9A departed
Bombay on the 21st with of troopships DEVONSHIRE
(11,100grt), ETHIOPIA (5574grt), LANCASHIRE (9557grt),
RAJULA (8478grt), and VARSOVA
(4701grt), escorted by light cruiser GLASGOW and Indian
patrol vessel SONAVATI. The convoy
departed Colombo on the 24th escorted by Australian
light cruiser
HOBART and sloop FALMOUTH.
Light cruiser GLASGOW was
detached on the 25th and
the sloop and patrol vessel on the 27th. The convoy was
met by light cruisers
DRAGON and DURBAN and destroyer VAMPIRE on the 30th.
Dutch cruisers TROMP and
DE RUYTER with destroyers
BANCKERT and PIET HEIN escorted the convoy between the
Sunda
Strait and Banka
Strait on 1 and 2 January.
Destroyers JUPITER and
ENCOUNTER, which departed Singapore on the 28th for
Batavia, joined the escort on 2 January. The convoy
arrived at Singapore on 3 January with
the three light cruisers and the
three destroyers.
_____
Steamer ULYSSES departed
Singapore for Australia with 250 women and children
evacuees.
_____
Gunboat CICALA (Cdr J.
Bolero DSC Rtd) was sunk by
Japanese bombing at Hong
Kong. One rating was killed and one rating was
wounded. The survivors were taken off by Motor Torpedo
Boat 10. Bolero and
T/Lt W. F. Davis RNR, were taken prisoner by the
Japanese at the fall
of Hong Kong.
Monday,
22 December
Light cruiser ARETHUSA
(Hamilton), destroyers
SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, KRAKOWIAK, and KUJAWIAK,
Norwegian corvettes
ACANTHUS and EGLANTINE, minesweepers SPEEDWELL, HARRIER,
and HALCYON,
surveying ship SCOTT, tanker BLACK RANGER, auxiliary
ship GUDRUN MAERSK, and
tug JAUNTY departed Scapa Flow as Force J for Operation
ANKLET, a raid on the
Lofotens.
Destroyers ESKIMO and
LAMERTON, landing ship PRINCE
ALBERT, and oiler GREY RANGER departed Lerwick for
Operation ANKLET on
the 23rd.
Landing ship PRINCESS
CHARLOTTE developed engine
trouble en route to join on the 23rd and was sent back
with destroyer
WHEATLAND. Both arrived at Scapa
Flow at 1700/24th.
Destroyer WHEATLAND
departed Scapa Flow at 1100/25th to join the ANKLET
group.
Submarine SEALION provided
the navigational beacon
for the attack on the 26th.
Landing ship PRINCE
ALBERT, escorted by destroyer LAMERTON and corvettes
EGLANTINE and ACANTHUS, land 260 commandoes at
Moskenesoy and Tind.
Destroyer BEDOUIN
destroyed the wireless station at
Flakstadoy.
Light cruiser ARETHUSA and
destroyers SOMALI, ASHANTI, and ESKIMO
penetrate into Vestfjord and captured
Norwegian coastal steamers KONG HARALAD (1125grt) and
NORDLAND (725grt).
Destroyer ASHANTI sank German patrol
boat Vp.5904 (trawler GEIER,
145grt) after the crew was taken off.
Light cruiser ARETHUSA was
near missed by German
bombing while at anchor in Kirkefjord on the 27th. The
light cruiser required
fourteen weeks at Chatham to refit and repair, including
collision damage.
After the raid, the ships
arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1100 on 1 January.
_____
The Patrol in the Denmark
Strait was discontinued temporarily to reduce the strain
on ships.
_____
Destroyer NEWARK departed
Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow. The destroyer arrived at Scapa
Flow at 0930/23rd from Loch Alsh to dock and carry out
minor repairs.
_____
Minesweeper NIGER departed
Dundee on
completion of repairs to her stern glands. On passage,
further trouble from
the glands was experiences and further repairs had to be
carried out. The
minesweeper arrived at Scapa
Flow at 1100/23rd
_____
Sloops DEPTFORD and STORK
of the convoy HG.76
escort were damaged in a collision when sloop DEPTFORD
mistook sloop STORK
for a surfaced German submarine.
Corvette JONQUIL
accompanied damaged sloop STORK.
Sloop STORK was repaired
at Devonport from 27
December to 14 February.
Sloop DEPTFORD was
repaired at Liverpool from 6
January to 8 March.
_____
Greek steamer STYLIANOS
CHANDRIS (6059grt) was sunk
on a mine, two miles 235° from 62D Buoy, Humber. The entire crew were rescued.
_____
Light cruiser DIDO and
destroyers NESTOR, GURKHA,
FOXHOUND, and ARROW departed Gibraltar on the 22nd. The
ships arrived at Malta on the 24th.
_____
Corvette COWSLIP ran
aground on Punta Al Boassa,
but was refloated and brought into harbour. The corvette
sustained extensive
hull damage.
_____
Destroyers GRIFFIN, NIZAM,
KIMBERLEY, and SIKH were at sea from Alexandria on an
anti-submarine sweep.
_____
Submarine
TORBAY sank a
small Greek caique for 30 tons off Cape
Methene.
_____
German steamer TINOS (2826grt) was sunk by British bombing at
Benghazi.
_____
German steamer SPEZIA
(1825grt) and Italian steamer
CADAMOSTO (1010grt) were sunk on Italian mines fourteen
miles northwest
of Misurata in 32-26N, 15-01E and 32-30N, 15-01E,
respectively.
_____
Convoy BM.9 B departed
Bombay with steamers EL
MADINA (3962grt), RISALDAR (5407grt), RAJPUT (5497grt),
JALARAJAN (5102grt),
and MADURA (9032grt), carrying motor transport and
stores for troops carried
in convoy BM.9 A, escorted by Greek light cruiser
GEORGIOS AVEROFF until 27
December. The convoy was joined by light cruiser GLASGOW
on the 27th and
relieved by light cruiser DANAE on the 31st. The convoy
was also joined by
light cruiser HOBART, which departed Colombo on the 24th
with convoy BM.9 A,
destroyers ELECTRA and EXPRESS on 3 January, and
STRONGHOLD on 4 January, which
departed Singapore on the 31st, minesweepers GOULBURN
and BURNIE on 5
January, and Dutch light cruiser JAVA from 31 December
to 4 January, when she
was detached with damage to a propeller. Dutch light
cruisers TROMP and DE
RUYTER and destroyers BANCKERT and PIET HEIN from 4
January.
Convoy BM.9 B arrived at
Singapore on 6 January.
_____
Destroyer EXPRESS laid
mines in South Channel at Penang.
_____
Japanese submarine I.68
shelled Johnston
Island. I.71 and I.72 shelled Palmyra
Island.
_____
Six Japanese transports
departed Camranh Bay to land troops at Kuching.
This force was escorted by
light cruiser YURA,
destroyers MURAKUMO, SHIRAKUMO, and USUGUMO,
minesweepers W.3 and W.6, and
seaplane carrier KAMIKAWA MARU.
Heavy cruisers KUMANO and
SUZUYA and light cruiser
FUBUKI and SAGIRI covered the convoy. West of this force
was heavy cruisers
MIKUMA and MOGAMI with destroyer HATSUYUKI.
_____
Steamer NAM YONG (1345grt)
and tanker HARPA
(3000grt) were damaged by Japanese bombing at Port
Swettenham.
_____
American submarine S.38
sank Japanese transport
HAYO MARU (5445grt) in Lingayen
Gulf.
_____
Japanese submarine I.19
damaged with gunfire
American tanker H. M. STOREY (10,763grt) in 34-35N,
120-45W.
Tuesday,
23 December
Heavy cruiser BERWICK
arrived at Hvalfjord from
patrol in the Denmark
Strait.
_____
Light cruiser NIGERIA
departed the Tyne after refitting to Scapa
Flow to work up. The
cruiser arrived on the 24th.
_____
Submarine TUNA departed
Scapa Flow for Operation ARCHERY.
_____
Destroyer TETCOTT, en
route to Scapa Flow to work up, collided with corvette
HEARTSEASE. The
destroyer put into the Clyde to effect temporary repairs
from 26 December to 8
January. The destroyer was under repair at Southampton
from 13 January until 7 March 1942. The corvette was
towed to Greenock by tug CAROLINE MOLLER and escorted by corvette VERVIAN. The corvette
was under repair at Greenock
from 27 December to 2 April.
_____
Destroyers TARTAR and
ICARUS departed Scapa Flow at 1630 for Seidisfjord to
await the sailing of
convoy PQ.7 from Reykjavik. The destroyers arrived at
1800/26th. They were
ordered to remain at Seidisfjord with heavy cruiser
CUMBERLAND for the escort of convoy PQ.7 B.
_____
Requisitioned Norwegian
motor fishing vessel
FISKAREN was sunk in a collision in Belfast Lough.
_____
British drifter TOKEN was
grounded in Skerry Sound
and broke up in a gale.
_____
Convoy OS.15 departed
Liverpool. On the 24th, sloops BIDEFORD and LONDONDERRY
and escort vessels CULVER, LANDGUARD, and LULWORTH
joined the convoy. The ships were detached on 11
January.
On 9 January, destroyer
BRILLIANT and corvettes
BERGAMOT, LAVENDER, and WALLFLOWER joined the convoy and
arrived with it at Bathurst on 13 January.
_____
Belgian steamer LEOPOLD II
(2902grt) was sunk on a
mine in 52-53-48N, 2-05-20E. Thirty
three crew and two gunners were lost on the steamer.
_____
Greek steamer ROKOS
VERGOTTIS (5637grt) was badly
damaged on a mine off Smith's Knoll off No. 555A Buoy,
Hearty Knoll Channel.
The steamer was taken in tow, but ran aground in 52-45N,
2-10E and was
abandoned.
_____
Destroyers VANQUISHER and
WITCH, which had departed
England to support convoy HG.76, attacked a submarine
off Ushant.
_____
Submarine USK arrived at
Gibraltar after having departed Portsmouth on the 11th.
_____
Destroyers HOTSPUR and
HEYTHROP with convoy AT.5
attacked a submarine contact. HOTSPUR
was joined by destroyer HASTY and HEYTHROP continued on
with the convoy. HASTY and HOTSPUR sank U.79 off
Bardia in
32-15N, 25-19E. The Captain, three officers, and forty
ratings were rescued.
_____
Convoy AT.5 arrived at
Tobruk.
Destroyer HEYTHROP and
corvette SALVIA joined
destroyers HASTY and HOTSPUR and sailed with store ships
carrying prisoners
of war and wounded.
U.559 sank Steamer
SHUNTIEN (3059grt) in 32-05N,
24-46E.
The steamer had a crew of
seventy crew and carried
850 prisoners of war.
Many prisoners were
rescued by corvette SALVIA,
which was left behind to collect survivors. However,
these were missing when
the corvette was lost the next day.
T/Sub Lt H. W. Vanderzee
RNVR, on passage to NILE in the steamer was also lost.
Destroyers HOTSPUR and
HEYTHROP attacked a
submarine contact at 0440/24th.
_____
U.559 attacked a Steamer
near Tobruk.
_____
U.562 attacked a destroyer
near Tobruk.
_____
Store carrier TIBERIO
(237grt) foundered off Mersa
Matruh. The entire crew was rescued.
_____
Convoy in 6 departed
Alexandria with steamers WARSZAWA, ALISA, and VARVARA
and
boom defense vessel BURGONET, escorted by destroyer
AVONVALE and corvette
PEONY with destroyers KIPLING and LEGION operating as a
striking force. During the night of 23/24
December, VARVARA
broke down and was escorted by destroyer KIMBERLEY back
to Alexandria. En route, they were joined by tug ST
MONANCE.
_____
Dutch submarine O.24
arrived at Gibraltar from Mediterranean patrol.
_____
Aircraft transport ATHENE
departed Gibraltar escorted by destroyers EXMOOR and CROOME to 14N, 19W. The destroyers then proceeded to
Bathurst to refuel prior
to returning to Gibraltar. the transport proceeded to
Takoradi.
_____
Cable ship MIRROR,
escorted by corvette COLTSFOOT,
departed Gibraltar to cut cable in the Azores area.
_____
T/Sub Lt (A) R. H.
Cardwell RNVR, Observer, of 830
Squadron was lost in a Wellington bomber which failed to return from patrol.
_____
On the 20th, Japanese
forces departed Kwajalein to return to Wake Island.
Light cruisers TATSUTA,
TENRYU, and YUBARI,
destroyers ASANAGI, OITE, and YUNAGI of the 29th
Destroyer Division,
MOCHIZUKI, MUTSUKI, and YAYOI of the 30th Destroyer
Division, patrol boats
P.32 and P.33, three transports, one minelayer, and one
seaplane carrier set
out.
Destroyers ASANAGI and
YUNAGI replaced the lost
destroyers and destroyer OITE was added to the force.
The 2nd Special Naval
Landing Force, which had captured Guam, was used in
the Wake Island attack.
Heavy cruisers AOBA,
FURUTAKA, KINUGASA, and KAKO
of the 6th Cruiser Division and destroyers KIKUZUKI,
UZUKI, and YUZUKI of the
23rd Destroyer Division departed Truk to support.
In addition, aircraft
carriers HIRYU and SORYU,
heavy cruisers TONE and CHIKUMA, and destroyers TANIKAZE
and URAKAZE of
Nagumo's carrier force provided air cover.
After dawn on the 23rd,
destroyer MUTSUKI and two
other destroyers closed Toki Point. Destroyer MUTSUKI
was damaged by American
battery B on Peale Island with five crew killed and ten wounded.
Patrol boats P.32 and P.33
were run aground
deliberately to land troops. Both were lost at 19-17N,
166-35E on Wake Island.
Japanese air losses in the
campaign were four
carrier planes with four crew killed, one Emily seaplane
with six crew
killed, and sixteen Betty bombers with ninety crew
recovered by US Marines.
Before the island fell,
one hundred and twenty five
Japanese soldiers were killed and one hundred and twenty
five soldiers were
wounded. Seven crew were killed and twenty five wounded
when a patrol boat
was hit by Wake Island shore guns.
_____
American submarine SEAL
sank Japanese steamer SORYU
MARU (856grt) off Badoc at 17-35N, 120-12E.
_____
Dutch submarine K.14 sank
Japanese transport KATORI
MARU (9849grt) and damaged steamers HIYOSHI MARU
(4943grt), HOKKAI MARU
8416grt), and NICHINAN MARU (6503grt) off Kuching.
_____
Dutch submarine K.13 was
disabled by a battery
explosion at Singapore. Three ratings were
killed and three were injured.
Destroyer VAN NES departed
Tangjong Priok on the 27th
to escort the submarine from Bank Straits to Surabaya.
The submarine departed Singapore on the 27th, escorted
by minesweeper BENDIGO. The submarine was towed to
Surabaya, arriving on the 30th.
_____
Japanese submarine I.17
damaged with gunfire
American tanker LARRY DOHENY (7038grt) in 40N, 125W.
_____
Japanese submarine I.21
sank American tanker
MONTIBELLO (8272grt) in 35-30N, 121-15W, four miles off
Cambria, California. The entire crew
were rescued.
_____
Japanese submarine I.21
damaged with gunfire
American tanker IDAHO (6418grt) in 35N, 121W.
Wednesday,
24 December
Light cruiser KENYA
(Burroughs), destroyers OFFA, ONSLOW, ORIBI, and
CHIDDINGFOLD, and landing ships PRINCE CHARLES and
PRINCE LEOPOLD departed Scapa Flow as Force P.at 2100 on
Operation ARCHERY, a raid on
Vaagso and Maaloy Island. The Force arrived at Sullom Voe on the 25th. Force J departed Sullom
Voe on the 26th for the Operation.
Submarine TUNA provided
the navigational beacon for
the raid on the 27th.
Battleship KING GEORGE V
and destroyers INGLEFIELD,
FAULKNER, MATABELE, MONTROSE, FORESTER, and INTREPID
were brought to short
notice at Scapa Flow to act as the covering force for
Operations ANKLET
and ARCHERY.
On the 27th, light cruiser
KENYA was damaged by a 5.1 inch shell from the Battery at Rugsundoy.
Destroyers ONSLOW and
ORIBI sank German steamers
REIMAR EDWARD FRITZEN (2936grt), NORMA (2258grt), and
ANITA L. M. RUSS
(1712grt) at Maaloy.
Destroyers OFFA and
CHIDDINGFOLD sank German
auxiliary patrol vessel Vp.1502 (trawler DONNER) and
steamer ANHALT
(5870grt). The ships arrived back at Scapa Flow noon on the 28th.
_____
Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND
departed Hvalfjord for Seidisfjord for the escort
of convoy PQ.7.
_____
Convoy ON.50 departed
Liverpool escorted by destroyer BROKE and corvettes
BARRIE, CAMELLIA, COLUMBINE, and PIMPERNEL. Destroyer
CHELSEA joined on the 25th. These escorts, less corvette
BARRIE, were relieved on the 28th by destroyer BURNHAM
and
corvettes ALGOMA, CHILLIWACK, DRUMHELLER, NAPANEE,
SUMMERSIDE, and TRILLIUM.
Corvette BARRIE was detached on 2 January. The convoy
was
dispersed on 3 January and the escorts detached.
_____
Submarine H 31 (Lt F. B.
Gibbs) departed Falmouth on the 19th for a patrol off
Cape Finisterre. She was due back on the 24th, but did
not return.
There is no indication as to when or how the submarine
was lost. It was
possible a breakaway mine from minelayer ABDIEL's Little
Sole Bank field
claimed the submarine. Gibbs, T/Sub Lt
P. D. N. Campbell RNR, T/Lt M. Eynon RNVR, Lt A. I.
Merritt, and twenty
nine ratings were lost on the submarine.
_____
Steamer MERCHANT (4615grt)
was sunk on a mine, 1¼
mile 354° from No.6 Buoy, Yarmouth in 52-39-30N,
2-00-56E. One crewman was
lost on the steamer.
_____
British tanker STANMOUNT
(4468grt) was sunk on a
mine, one mile 350° from No.6 Buoy, Yarmouth in
52-39-22N, 2-00-31E. The
entire crew were rescued.
_____
Steamer EASTWOOD (1551grt)
was damaged by mining 2½
miles 104° Aldeburgh Light. Four crew were lost on the
steamer. The steamer
arrived at Harwich on the 25th and was later taken to
the Humber for repairs.
_____
Norwegian tanker OLE
JACOB, captured by German
raider ATLANTIS on 10 November 1940 and renamed BENNO,
was sunk by British torpedo
aircraft at Puerto Carino, in northwest Spain.
British
aircraft had damaged the tanker on the 23rd with depth
charges.
_____
Corvette SALVIA (Lt Cdr J.
I. Miller DSO DSC, RD RNR) was sunk by U.568 in 31-46N,
28-00E west of Alexandria. Miller,
T/Lt B. W. Church DSC RNVR, T/Lt E. S. Ditmars RCNVR,
T/Lt J. L. Field RNVR,
and fifty five ratings were missing on the corvette.
_____
British tanker PHENIX
(5907grt) was sunk on a mine
at Haifa. Four crew were lost on the tanker.
Petrol carrier VILJA was set afire by the
tanker's explosion, as was parts of the harbour.
_____
Destroyer WESTCOTT arrived
at Gibraltar from the UK.
_____
T/Midshipman J. E. G.
Burnett of destroyer HEYTHROP
died of injuries after being beaten up.
_____
Convoy DM.1 (WS.12ZM) of
steamers NARKUNA, AORANGI, SUSSEX, ABBEKERK, and MOUNT
VERNON departed Durban escorted by
light cruiser EMERALD. The convoy,
escorted by heavy cruiser EXETER,
light cruiser EMERALD, and sloop JUMNA, departed
Addu on 5 January. Light cruiser DURBAN joined in 4-27S,
94-47E on 9 January. Dutch light
cruiser DE RUYTER joined on 10 January for three hours
while Admiral Doorman
boarded light cruiser EMERALD to discuss route and
policy.
On 10 January, destroyers
destroyers JUPITER, ENCOUNTER,
and VAMPIRE joined the convoy. On 11 January, Dutch
light cruisers DE RUYTER
and TROMP and Dutch destroyers BANCKERT and PIET HEIN
escorted the convoy
through the Banka Straits during daylight on 12 January.
Convoy DM.1 arrived
at Singapore on 13 January.
_____
Minelayer TEVIOT BANK laid
mines off Horsborough
Light.
_____
Destroyer THRACIAN (Cdr A.
J. Pears Rtd) was
beached after Japanese bombing at Hong Kong. Pears,
Lt (E) E. P. Birkett, Lt J. Dines RNR, and Gunner (T) T.
H. Quilliam were taken prisoner
by the Japanese on the fall of Hong Kong.
_____
Dutch submarine K.17 was
sunk by Japanese
destroyers near Kota Bharu.
_____
Japanese forces which had
departed Amami O Shima on
the 17th arrived off Lamon Bay.
Twenty four transports
landed troops, covered by
light cruiser NAGARA and destroyers YAMAKAZE, SUZUKAZE,
KAWAKAZE, and UMIKAZE
of the 24th Destroyer Division and TOKITSUKAZE and
YUKIKAZE of the 16th
Destroyer Division.
_____
American steamer SI KIANG
(7014grt) was sunk by
Japanese bombing in the Bay of Marse, Manila. Ten
crew
were lost on the steamer.
_____
Steamers GLADYS (358grt),
MARGARET (248grt), and
REJANG (288grt) and lighter KIM CHIN
SENG (165grt) were scuttled at Kuching.
_____
Dutch submarine K.16 sank
Japanese destroyer SAGIRI
at 1-34N, 110-21E. The submarine was sunk the next day
by Japanese submarine
I.66 sank north of Api. There was one survivor from the
submarine.
_____
Japanese submarine I.19
damaged American steamer
ABSAROKA (5695grt) in 34N, 121W off California. One
crewman was killed. The steamer was towed to
San Pedro.
_____
Japanese submarine I.23
damaged American steamer
DOROTHY PHILIPS (2119grt) with gunfire in Monterey
Bay.
Thursday,
25 December
The flag of Rear Admiral
Commanding, 18th Cruiser
Squadron, struck his flag in light cruiser EDINBURGH at
Murmansk.
_____
Heavy cruiser KENT
departed
Archangel with the
British Foreign Secretary and his staff and Rear Admiral
Commanding 18th
Cruiser Squadron Rear Admiral E. N. Syfret CB, and his
staff. The heavy
cruiser arrived at Scapa
Flow on the 29th. The
cruiser proceeded on to the Clyde arriving later that
day.
_____
Steamer CORMEAD (2848grt)
was sunk on a mine three
miles 350° from No. 5 Buoy, off Lowestoft. The
entire crew were rescued.
_____
Steamer CHARLES PARSONS
(1554grt) was damaged by
German bombing eight miles north of Hartlepool.
_____
Steamer SHEAF MOUNT
(5017grt) was damaged by German
bombing in the North
Atlantic.
_____
When a Albacore of 826
Squadron was damaged by
ground fire near Sollum, observer T/Sub Lt (A) G.
Credland RNVR, was killed.
Pilot A/Sub Lt (A) R. S. Nathan RNVR, and Leading Airman
S. V. Coulter were
unwounded.
_____
A Catalina was shot down
off Northern Malaya. Destroyer THANET was despatched to
rescue the
crew, but they were picked up by Dutch submarine K.12
before the destroyer
arrived.
_____
Boom defense depot ROBIN
(formerly gunboat, Lt Cdr
E. G. Solway Rtd) was scuttled at Hong Kong.
Solway, T/Lt H. Clark RNR,
Chief Skipper J. H. Cowling RNVR, Chief Skipper
A. Flett RNR, Lt W. Fogg Rtd, Engineering Lt C. Freeman
Rtd,
T/Boom Engineer F. C. G. George RNR, Lt W. J. Haslehurst
Rtd, Skipper W. Mair RNR, Lt F. W. Mitchell Rtd, T/Lt A.
W. Skelly RNR,, and T/Lt R. Wherry RNR, were taken
prisoner on the fall of Hong Kong.
Flett and Mair were killed
when in passage in
Japanese steamer LISBON MARU, sunk by American submarine
GROUPER on 2 October 1942. Freeman died as a prisoner of
war of 23 January
1942. George died as a prisoner
of war on 6 April 1943.
Motor torpedo boats MTB.7
(Lt R. R. W. Ashby HgKgNVR), MTB.9 (Lt A. Kennedy RNVR),
MTB.10 (Lt Cdr G. H. Gandy Rtd, SO of the Flotilla),
MTB.11 (Lt C. I. Collingwood), and MTB.27 (Lt T. M.
Parsons HgKgNVR), escaped from Aberdeen Harbour for Mirs
Bay,
carrying refugees, including Chinese Admiral Chan Chak.
The boats were then
scuttled.
Lt C. R. C. Dodson RNVR,
of MTB.9 was taken prisoner by the Japanese.
Motor minesweepers MMS.95,
MMS.96, MMS.123, and MMS.124, building at Vaughn
Shipbuilding Hong Kong
were lost on the stocks. The following officers were
taken prisoner by the
Japanese on the fall of Hong
Kong. All officers
attached to HMS TAMAR (Captain A. C. Collinson,
Commodore 2nd Class). T/Boom
Skipper S. A. Baily, Lt H. Bevis Rtd, Lt Cdr J. G.
Binny, Paymaster Cdr J. G.
B. A. Campbell Rtd, Lt Cdr T. R. Chattock, Collinson,
Cdr D. H. S. Craven,
Cdr R. C. Creer RAN Rtd, Cdr F. W. Crowther Rtd, A/T/Lt
Cdr H. C. F. Dawes RNR, Lt H. C. Dixon, NZRNVR,
Boatswain W. G. R. Easterbrook,
A/Major G. B. O. Farrington, RM, Major R. C. Giles, RM,
Commissioned
Telegraphist N. T. J. Greenwood, Cdr W. H. L. Harrison
Rtd, Paymaster Cdr C.
S. B. Hickman, Lt Cdr G. S. Hugh-Jones, Lt Cdr K. W.
Kirby, Temprary Boom
Engineer J. C. McFarlane (Boom Defense Hong Kong),
Warrant Wardmaster F.
Martin (NH Hong Kong), Cdr H. C. Millett Rtd,
Engineering Captain F. B.
Minhinnick Rtd (DY HK), Signal Boatswain D. M.Mitchell,
Cdr G. W. Morrison
Rtd, Surgeonl Lt Cdr J. A. Page, T/Chaplain C. Strong
RNVR, T/Warrant
Engineer A. W. F. Taylor, Surgeon Cdr R. W. H. Tinckler,
Cdr L. L. Tollemache
Rtd, Engineering Cdr P. Warner Rtd, Warrant Storemaster
R. M. Wexham,
T/Surgeon Lt R. G. S. Whitfield RNVR, and Lt Cdr R. S.
Young Rtd.
Bailey, Easterbrook,
Greenwood, Martin, and Wexham were killed when the
steamer
LISBON MARU was sunk on 2 October. McFarlane died as a
prisoner of war on 17 October
1942. Mitchell died of
dysentery as a prisoner of war on 8 July 1942. Taylor
was killed in an air raid at Kawasake on 25 July 1945.
The following ships were captured by Japanese
forces at Hong Kong (most of the ships had already been
sunk or
scuttled prior to capture)
American steamer ADMIRAL
Y. S. WILLIAMS (3252grt),
which had been scuttled on the 12th, Chinese steamer
ANLEE (1668grt), Steamer
APOEY (2790grt), American steamer ARGUS (1025grt),
Steamer ADRIADNE MOLLER
(1840grt), Steamer CAMBAY PRINCE (455grt) at Bleak Pier,
Steamer CHENGTU
(2219grt), Panamanian steamer DAYLITE (1976grt),
Panamanian steamer ELDORADO
(2180grt), British salvage tug ETHEL MOLLER (912grt),
Steamer FAUSANG
(2256grt), British salvage vessel FROSTY MOLLER
(555grt), Motor vessel FOOK
ON.(738grt), Tug GERTRUDE MOLLER (92grt), Norwegian
steamer HALLDOR
(1515grt), Norwegian steamer HARALDSVANG (3112grt),
Motor vessel HINSANG
(4644grt), American steamer HIRONDELLE (1243grt), under
repair, Chinese
steamer HSINLEE (1174grt), Steamer JOAN MOLLER
(2332grt), British salvage
ship JOSEPHINE MOLLER (1274grt), Steamer KANCHOW
(2001grt), British salvage
ship KATHLEEN MOLLER 91487grt), Steamer KAU TUNG
(1665grt), Steamer KINSHAN
(2733grt), Steamer KWONG FOOK CHEUNG (881grt), Steamer
KWONG SAI (1309grt), Steamer KWONG TUNG (1218grt),
British
ferry MAN CHIAO (350grt), Auxiliary minelayer MAN YEUNG
(371grt), Chinese mine carrier MAO LEE, requisitioned by
the Royal Navy (1946grt),
British salvage tug MARGARET MOLLER (468grt), Panamanian
steamer MARION
(1185grt), Steamer MING SANG
(3420grt), Steamer NANNING (2486grt), Swedish motor
vessel NINGPO (6079grt),
Tug PATRICIA MOLLER (390grt), Chinese steamer SHENGLEE
(3087grt), Steamer
SHUN CHIH (1881grt), Steamer SOOCHOW (2604grt), Steamer
SUMATRA (984grt),
Steamer TAI HING (1068grt), Steamer TAI LEE (1423grt),
Steamer TAI MING (649grt), French
steamer TAI POO SEK (1960grt), Steamer TIN
SANG
(398grt), Steamer TIN YAT (942grt), Steamer SAINT
VINCENT DE PAUL
(1339grt), British water boat WAVE,
Panamanian steamer WAWA (1650grt), and Steamer YAT SHING
(2284grt) on the
25th.
Norwegian steamer HALLDOR
was renamed HARUNA MARU
for Japanese use.
Tugs INDO CHINA (63grt)
and TAIKOO HANG (32grt) were seized at Hong Kong on the
26th.
Steamers EMPIRE DRAGON
(6580grt) and EMPIRE PAGODA
(6580grt), under construction at Hong Kong were
sunk, but were later refloated and restored to service
by Japanese forces.
Friday,
26 December
Patrol White was
re-established and heavy cruiser NORFOLK departed
Hvalfjord for patrol in the Denmark Strait.
_____
Convoy PQ.7A departed
Hvalfjord with Panamanian
steamer COLD HARBOUR (5010grt) and British WARZIRISTAN
(5135grt) escorted by
trawlers HUGH WALPOLE and OPHELIA to 27 December. The
other ships of the
convoy were delayed by defects.
Minesweepers BRITOMART and SALAMANDER departed
Seidisfjord at noon on the 28th to meet the convoy, but
did not locate
it. The minesweepers arrived at Murmansk at 1700 on 4
January. On 2 January, WARZIRISTAN was stranded on
the ice. She was damaged by German bombing and sunk by
U.134.
Steamer
COLD HARBOR arrived at
Murmansk on 12 January.
_____
Minesweeping trawler
HENRIETTE (Former French,
261grt, Lt A. V. Pearce RNR) was
sunk on a mine 3.4 miles 134.5° from Spurn Point, off
the Humber. There were no casualties on the trawler.
_____
Norwegian steamers KONG
RING (1994grt) and INGER
NIELSEN (1862grt) were sunk and Norwegian steamer KONG
DAG (1862grt) was
damaged at Ullsfjord on mines laid by Soviet submarine
K.1 on 16 and 17
December.
_____
On the 25th, Submarines
TRUSTY and TRUANT were
ordered to the Eastern Fleet. TRUSTY
departed Alexandria for Singapore on the 26th.
TRUANT departed Alexandria on 3 January and arrived at
Surabaya on 11 February.
_____
Light cruisers AJAX and
DIDO and destroyers LANCE,
liVELY, ARROW, FOXHOUND, GURKHA, and NESTOR departed
Malta with steamers SYDNEY
STAR, CLAN FERGUSON, AJAX, and CITY OF CALCUTTA of
convoy ME.8 on the 26th.
Antiaircraft ship CARLISLE and destroyers NAPIER, NIZAM,
KINGSTON, and ISAAC SWEERS
departed Alexandria to join the ships before dark on the
27th, but in
bad weather did not contact the group until 0700/28th.
The Dutch destroyer was
damaged by weather and
returned to Alexandria on the 27th.
When the two groups met,
destroyers LANCE and
LIVELY were detached to Malta, arriving on the 29th.
Destroyer MAORI was
damaged by the near miss of
German bombing. The destroyer required six weeks to
repair. The ships arrived
at Alexandria on the 29th, less destroyer NIZAM which
took
steamer SYDNEY STAR directly to Port Said. The destroyer
returned to Alexandria on the 30th.
_____
Submarine
OLYMPUS departed Malta for Gibraltar with
passengers and stores.
_____
U.559 sank Polish steamer
WARSZAWA (2487grt) in
32-10N, 24-32E.
Corvette PEONY was able to
take the steamer in tow,
escorted by destroyer AVONVALE while destroyers KIPLING
and LEGION hunted the
submarine.
However, the steamer could
not be saved when a
second attack by the submarine was successful. Boom
defense vessel BURGONET
rescued 309 survivors. Corvette PEONY and destroyer
AVONVALE rescued further
survivors. Three crew and about twenty passengers were
lost on the steamer.
Convoy AT.6 departed
Tobruk on the 27th. At 0909 on
the 27th, destroyers KIPLING and LEGION attacked a
submarine contact.
_____
Convoy AT.7 departed
Alexandria escorted by destroyer ERIDGE and
anti-submarine
whaler SOUTHERN SEA with destroyers GRIFFIN and HASTY as
a striking force. The convoy arrived
on the 29th and the destroyers departed with convoy TA.7
of empty ships KIRKLAND and EOCENE. There is no mention
of convoys AT.8 or
AT.9 in the Med Fleet War Diary. Apparently, they did
not sail.
_____
Submarine P.39, which
departed Holy Loch on the
16th, arrived at Gibraltar from the UK.
_____
Submarine UNA departed
Gibraltar for Malta.
_____
Destroyer VANOC, which had
been searching for an
enemy tanker in the area of Cape Ortegal, arrived at Gibraltar.
_____
Japanese minesweeper W.6
and steamer UNYO MARU No.2
were sunk by Dutch air attack at 1-34N, 110-21E.
_____
Dutch destroyer O.19
arrived at Singapore after patrol.
_____
Destroyer SCOUT arrived at
Soe Soe for refuelling,
but none was available. The destroyer returned to
Sabang.
_____
American convoy 4032
departed Pearl
Harbour with passenger ships LURLINE, MATSONIA, and
MONTEREY, escorted by
light cruiser ST LOUIS and destroyers PRESTON and SMITH. The convoy arrived at
San Francisco on 2
January.
_____
Steamer TANTALUS
(7724grt), which had departed Hong Kong on the 5th under
the tow of tug KESWICK for Singapore, was sunk by
Japanese bombing at Manila. Thirty
nine crew and six gunners were made prisoners of war.
_____
Soviet tanker MAIKOP
(1846grt) was sunk by Japanese
bombing off the southwestern point of the Gulf of
Davao. One crewman was lost.
_____
Convoy SL.96 departed
Freetown escorted by destroyers BRADFORD to 1 January
and
VELOX to 15 January and corvettes AMARANTHUS to 13
January, AURICULA to 30
December, CROCUS to 30 December, and ORCHIS to 28
December.
On the 28th, sloops LEITH, ROCHESTER, SANDWICH, and SCARBOROUGH joined
to 13 January. Destroyer BRADFORD, after refuelling at
Gibraltar, departed on 6 January to rejoin the convoy.
Ocean
boarding vessel MARSDALE joined on 12 January to 13
January. The convoy was
dispersed on 13 January due to weather. The destroyers
remained with the Liverpool ships until arrival on 15
January.
Saturday,
27 December
Battleship RESOLUTION and
destroyers FORESTER and
FAULKNOR departed Scapa
Flow for exercises during
the day.
_____
Destroyer IMPULSIVE
departed Scapa Flow for
Southampton for
refitting. The destroyer arrived at Portsmouth on the
30th.
_____
Convoy ON.51 departed
Liverpool on the 27th. The convoy was joined on the 28th
by
destroyer WATCHMAN and corvettes AARABIS, MONKSHOOD, and
THYME. Corvette
SNOWFLAKE joined on the 29th. The escorts were detached
on 2 January when
American destroyers BUCK, GREER, HERBERT, MCCORMICK, and
SWANSON joined.
The American destroyers were detached on 11 January when
the convoy was
dispersed.
_____
Minesweeper/escort vessel
JASON departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, arriving on the
28th.
_____
Submarine STURGEON,
escorted by an anti-submarine
yacht WHITE BEAR, departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, where they
arrived on the 29th.
_____
Minesweeper NIGER departed
Scapa Flow at 2200
for Dundee for effect further repairs to her stern
glands.
The minesweeper arrived at 1200/28th.
_____
Steamer J. D. PADDON
(570grt) was sunk by German
bombing in 53-55N, 0-16E. The entire crew were rescued.
_____
Submarine P.36, which
departed Portsmouth on18 December, arrived at Gibraltar.
_____
Corvettes GERANIUM and
AZALEA departed Gibraltar to meet arriving tanker LA
CARRIERE. The ships
safely arrived back on 4 January.
_____
Convoy HX.167 departed
Halifax, escorted by destroyer ANNAPOLIS and corvettes
SASKATOON and THE PAS. The escort was detached on the
29th when American
destroyers BABBITT, LEARY, MAYO, SCHENCK, and SIMPSON
joined. Destroyers
BABBIT and SCHENCK are refuelled at sea from American
cargo ship DELTA. In
heavy weather, destroyer LEARY was unable to take on
fuel and was detached on
4 January to refuel at Casco
Bay. On 7 January,
destroyer WATCHMAN and corvettes ARABIS, DAHLIA,
MONKSHOOD, and SNOWFLAKE
joined the convoy and the American ships were detached.
On 10 January,
destroyer WATCHMAN and corvettes DAHLIA, MONKSHOOD, and
SNOWFLAKE were
detached. Anti-submarine trawler KIRKELLA joined on 11
January and the convoy
arrived at Liverpool that day.
_____
Convoy SC.62 departed St
Johns, CB, escorted by corvettes ACONIT, LOUISBURG,
SOREL, and SUDBURY and minesweepers GEORGIAN, NIPIGON,
and THUNDER.
Corvettes COWICHEN joined on the 28th. These escorts,
less ACONIT and SOREL,
were detached when corvettes ALYSSE, CHICOUTIMI, and
KENOGAMI joined on the 29th. Destroyer ASSINIBOINE
joined on the 30th. Destroyer ASSINIBOINE was detached
on 8 January and corvettes ACONIT and
SOREL on 9 January. On 9 January, destroyers SHERWOOD
and ST ALBANS and corvettes HIBISCUS, MONTBRETIA, and
ROSE
joined. The convoy was dispersed 12 January in 56-49N,
9-12W.
_____
Dutch submarine K.11
departed Singapore to patrol on a line Kuching to Saigon, then return to Singapore by 3
January.
_____
American steamer TAURUS
(1251grt) was scuttled in
the Pasig River.
_____
American steamers ETHEL
EDWARDS (395grt) and
CANLAON (667grt) were sunk by Japanese bombing at
Manila.
_____
American submarine PERCH
sank Japanese ammunition
ship NOJIMA MARU (7190grt) southwest of Hong Kong.
_____
Japanese submarine I.25
damaged American tanker CONNECTICUT (8684grt) ten miles
west of the mouth of the Columbia River.
Sunday,
28 December
Destroyer LEWES, which had
departed Plymouth for Scapa Flow to work
up, put back into harbour with a minor defect.
_____
Dutch steamer DE RUYTER
(458grt) was damaged by
German bombing twenty three miles north, northeast of
South Bishop. The
steamer was taken in tow and beached at Goodwick Sands.
_____
Steamer FORAFRIC (3475grt)
was sunk by Japanese
bombing in 3-40N, 121E, Celebes
Sea. The crew were all
rescued.
_____
Dutch tanker ALDEGONDA
(2088grt), which had
departed Singapore on the 27th, was damaged by Japanese
bombing in
the Malacca Strait. Destroyer SCOUT was
dispatched to assist, but the tanker was able to proceed
and arrived at Soe
Soe on the 29th.
_____
U.75 sank Steamer VOLO
(1587grt) in 3-45N, 26-48E
of convoy AT.6 and reported one other ship sunk and
another ship
damaged. Twenty one crew and three
gunners were lost on the steamer. A.17 (T/Sub Lt A. L.
Pullen RNVR) rescued
some of the survivors.
Destroyer AVONVALE and
corvette PEONY continued
with the convoy.
Destroyer KIPLING was
joined by destroyer LEGION.
U.75 was sunk by destroyer
KIPLING off Matruh in
31-30N, 26-40E.
Two officers and twenty
eight ratings were picked
up by destroyers KIPLING and LEGION. Fourteen crew were
lost in the
submarine.
T/A/Sub Lt (A) R. Griffin
RNVR, of 805 Squadron
from GREBE, was lost protecting the convoy when his
Martlet was lost.
Destroyers KIPLING and
LEGION arrived at Alexandria on the 28th.
_____
Belgian landing ship
PRINCE BADOUIN and destroyers
SIKH, HERO, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria for Tobruk,
arriving on the 29th.
After this operation,
these destroyers were to
escort the minesweeping flotilla of minesweepers
BAGSHOT, ABERDARE, SOTRA,
and HAILSTORM to Benghazi. The destroyers returned to
Alexandria on the 31st.
Destroyer HEYTHROP
departed Alexandria with a petrol carrier for Tobruk,
arriving on the
31st.
HEYTHROP escorted PRINCE
BADOUIN back to Alexandria.
_____
Submarine THORN made an
unsuccessfully attack on a
tanker off Cepalonia.
_____
Destroyers JUPITER and
ENCOUNTER departed Singapore for Batavia.
_____
Steamers HAI KWANG
(905grt) and SEISTAN (2455grt) was sunk by
Japanese bombing in Manila Bay. The entire crews
were rescued and made prisoners
of war.
_____
American survey vessel
RESEARCH (875grt) was
damaged by Japanese bombing at Engineer
Island. The vessel was damaged again on 29 and 30 December in
Manila
Bay.
The vessel was beached on the western side of Manila
Bay.
_____
Convoy ZK.5 departed
Sydney for Port Moresby with troopships AQUITANIA
(44,786grt) SARPEDON (11,321grt), and HERSTEIN
(5100grt) with 4250 troops and 10,000 tons of supplies.
The convoy was
escorted by Australian heavy cruisers AUSTRALIA and
CANBERRA and light cruiser PERTH. US heavy cruiser
PENSACOLA took her seven transports to Port
Darwin. Australian sloops SWAN and WARREGO joined
convoy ZK.5 on 2 January and the convoy arrived on 3
January.
_____
US heavy cruiser HOUSTON,
destroyers WHIPPLE, ALDEN,
and EDSALL with supply ship GOLD STAR, submarine tender
OTUS, and oiler PECOS arrived at Darwin.
_____
American convoy 2006
departed San Francisco with steamers HENDERSON, AMERICAN
STAR, LUMBERLADY, MANOA, MAUNAWILI, STEEL VOYAGER,
BOREAS, BARBARA OLSEN, LURLINE BURNS, MANUKAI, PHILLIPA,
WILLIAM R. GIBSON,
CUYAMA, IOWAN, MAKIKI, MANULANI, and S. C. T. DODD,
escorted by light cruiser
DETROIT and destroyers CLARK and CUMMINGS. The convoy
was
joined by Task Group 15.8 (see convoy 2007). The convoy
arrived at Pearl
Harbour on 10 January.
American convoy 2007 of
steamships ETOLIN,
PRESIDENT TAYLOR, MAUI, and PRESIDENT JOHNSON departed
San Francisco with convoy 2006. On 3 January, the convoy
was
handed over to Task Group 15. 8 from Pearl
Harbour of heavy cruiser PORTLAND
destroyers PHELPS and FARRAGUT. That Task Group in turn
handed the convoy
over to local escort on 7 January of destroyer
minesweepers GAMBLE, ELLIOT,
and LONG. Destroyer LAMSON and destroyer minesweepers
CHANDLER and PERRY replaced destroyer PHELPS. Task Group
15. 8 headed back east and rejoined convoy 2006, joining
Task Group 15.2. The
convoy arrived at Pearl Harbour on 8 January.
Monday,
29 December
Destroyer MATABELE
departed Scapa Flow at 2200 for Rosyth to boiler clean.
The destroyer
arrived off May Island at 0500/30th.
_____
Armed merchant cruiser
CITY OF DURBAN departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.24
for Rosyth, arriving on the
30th.
_____
Convoy QP.4 departed
Archangel with BRIARWOOD (4019grt), CAPE RACE (3807grt),
DAY Y BRYN (5117grt),SAN AMBROSIO (7410grt), TREHATA
(4817grt), WANSTEAD
(5486grt), CAPE CORSO (3890grt), Panamanian COCLE (5630grt), Panamanian EL CAPITAN
(5255grt), EULIMA (6207grt), Soviet SUKHONA (3124grt),
and TREKIEVE
(5244grt).
Minesweepers SEAGULL and
SPEEDY, trawlers BUTE and STELLA CAPELLA with tanker EL MIRLO (8092grt) departed
Murmansk for Iokanka to
join the convoy. The convoy was
escorted by minesweepers BRAMBLE and HEBE to 5 January,
minesweepers LEDA,
SEAGULL, and SPEEDY and trawlers BUTE and STELLA
CAPELLA to 9 January.
Light cruiser EDINBURGH
and destroyers ECHO and ECLIPSE escorted the convoy from
5 January to
9 January, when the convoy dispersed.
_____
Convoy AT.10 departed
Alexandria for Tobruk escorted by destroyer FARNDALE and
anti-submarine whaler SOUTHERN ISLE with destroyers
KIPLING and LEGION as a striking
force. The convoy arrived on the 31st. Destroyer
FARNDALE departed escorting
three empty store ships to Alexandria.
_____
Minelaying cruiser ABDIEL
departed Alexandria for Haifa to embark mines prior to
joining the Eastern
Fleet.
_____
On exercises off Malta,
Submarine UPHOLDER was machine gunned by German
Messerschmidt aircraft. The commanding officer, Lt C. P.
Norman was
wounded. Submarine URGE and
minesweeping trawler BERYL were also machine gunned.
BERYL had six wounded.
_____
Tug HENRY KESWICK (671grt)
was lost off Corregidor. The crew were all interned.
_____
US submarine tender
CANOPUS was damaged by Japanese bombing at 14-25N,
120-20E. Six enlisted men were killed and two enlisted
men were wounded.
_____
American presidential
yacht CASIANA was sunk by
Japanese bombing near the wharf of Port Mills, Corregidor.
_____
Japanese submarine RO.60
was lost in stranding on Kwajalein reef.
Tuesday,
30 December
Destroyer
CALPE departed Scapa Flow at
0100 for Aberdeen where she arrived at 0800. The
destroyer later
sailed escorting steamer PRAGUE
to Invergordon and then sailed for Scapa Flow.
While approaching harbour,
destroyer CALPE was ordered to investigate a report of a possible submarine six miles
east of Pentland Skerries made by anti-submarine trawler
SCALBY WYKE. She was
recalled at 2230 and arrived at Scapa Flow at
2315.
_____
Destroyer FORESIGHT
departed Scapa Flow at 0230 escorting landing ships
PRINCE CHARLES,
PRINCE LEOPOLD, and PRINCESS CHARLOTTE to Invergordon,
where they arrived at
0900.
Later in the day, while
PRINCESS CHARLOTTE was
shifting berth, she collided with destroyer FORESIGHT
and damaged the
destroyer's stem. The destroyer was able to escort the
landing ships back to Scapa Flow, arriving at 1130 on 1
January.
_____
Destroyer MONTROSE struck
a rock off Herston Head,
damaging her port propeller shaft. The destroyer
departed Scapa Flow on 2 January for to Rosyth for
repairs, arriving
on 3 January.
_____
Submarine TUNA arrived in
the Clyde from Operation ARCHERY.
_____
In a training exercise,
two Swordfish aircraft of
771 Squadron collided west of Crail. T/A/Sub Lt (A) M.
G. N Crawford RNVR, of
one aircraft and Lt N. A. F Cheeseman of the other were
both killed.
_____
Light cruiser AJAX and
destroyers NAPIER, NESTOR, GURKHA, and
FOXHOUND departed Alexandria for a bombardment in the
Bardia area during the
night of 30/31 December. Destroyers KINGSTON and
NIZAM departed Alexandria to conduct an anti-submarine
sweep.
_____
Submarine THORN sank
German steamer CAMPINA
(3032grt) in the Peloponnese in 38-35N, 10-27E.
_____
Submarine PROTEUS sank
Italian steamer CITTA DI
MARSALA (2480grt), leaving Argostoli in 38-07N, 20-25E.
_____
Italian steamer SALVATORE
LO BIANCO (82grt) was
lost at Bardia.
_____
Destroyers VANOC and
BADSWORTH departed Gibraltar with Polish troopship
BATORY for the Clyde.
_____
Japanese submarine I.1
shelled Hilo during the night of 30/31 December.
_____
Armed patrol vessel KUDAT
(1725grt) and five fast
motor boats of the Perak Flotilla was sunk by Japanese
air attack at Port
Swettenham. Lt J. E. D. Darwall died of wounds on 26
January 1942. Two Asian crew were killed and nine
wounded.
_____
Minelayer TEVIOT BANK laid
mines in South Channel
of Singapore Strait.
_____
Dutch submarine K.12
departed Singapore for patrol north of Midai Islands. The submarine was return to
Singapore on 11 January.
_____
Australian sloop YARRA
arrived at Colombo after departing the Mediterranean on
the 15th.
_____
American convoy 4033
departed Pearl
Harbour with transports HARRIS, TASKER H. BLISS, and PRESIDENT GARFIELD and
cargo ship PROCYON, escorted by Task Group 15. 7 of
light cruiser
PHOENIX and destroyers
AYLWIN and PERKINS. The convoy
arrived at San
Francisco on
7 January.
_____
Norwegian steamers HAI
PING
(1105grt) and RANDI (1132grt) were seized by Japanese
forces at Bangkok.
_____
Swedish steamer MIRAMAR
(1555grt) was seized by Japanese forces at Saigon.
Wednesday,
31 December
Heavy cruiser BERWICK
departed Hvalfjord for patrol
in the Denmark Strait.
_____
Heavy cruiser NORFOLK
arrived at Hvalfjord from patrol in the Denmark Strait.
_____
Heavy cruiser KENT
departed the Clyde to return to Scapa
Flow.
_____
The Flag of 10th Cruiser
Squadron was transferred
from light cruiser KENYA to light cruiser NIGERIA.
_____
Convoy ON.52 departed
Liverpool escorted by corvettes HIBISCUS, MONTBRETIA,
and
ROSE. The convoy was joined on 1 January by destroyer ST
ALBANS and New Zealand trawler KIWI, en route to the
Pacific. Destroyers NEWMARKET and SHERWOOD and corvette
DAHLIA joined on 3
January. Destroyers ST ALBANS and SHERWOOD and corvettes
HIBISCUS,
MONTVBRETIA, and ROSE were detached on 5 January.
Destroyer SAGUENAY and corvettes CAMROSE, SHEDIAC, SPIKENARD, and WETASKIWIN joined on 5
January. Corvette DAHLIA was detached on 6 January. The
remainder of the
escort was detached on 11 January when the convoy
dispersed.
_____
Minesweeper HALCYON
arrived at Sullom Voe to escort
oiler SAN ZOTICO to Scapa Flow.
_____
Convoy PQ.7B departed
Hvalfjord with steamers
Panamanian ANEROID (5074grt), Soviet CHERNYSHEVSKI
(3588grt), EMPIRE HALLEY
(7168grt), EMPIRE REDSHANK (6615grt), Panamanian
REIGHCOUNT (4657grt),
BOTAVON (5848grt), EMPIRE ACTIVITY (5335grt), EMPIRE
HOWARD (6985grt), and
JUTLANT (6153grt). The convoy was escorted by trawlers
CAPE ARGONA and WASTWATER to 4 January.
From 4 to 11 January, the
convoy was escorted by
destroyers ICARUS and TARTAR, which departed Seidisfjord
on 2 January.
Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND
departed Seidisfjord, but did not meet the convoy
as planned. The cruiser proceeded independently to
Murmansk, arriving on 12 January. The convoy arrived at
Murmansk on 11 January.
_____
Destroyer PANTHER departed
Greenock at 2200 for Scapa
Flow to work up. The
destroyer arrived at 1900 on 1 January.
_____
Destroyers ONSLOW, OFFA,
and MARNE departed Scapa Flow at 2100
for Hvalfjord to relieve destroyers
WALKER, VERITY, and WITHERINGTON as a screen for
battlecruiser RENOWN. The
destroyers arrived at Hvalfjord at 1800 on 2 January.
The V and W destroyers
departed Hvalfjord at 2215 on 2 January for Scapa Flow,
_____
Destroyer
CALPE departed Scapa Flow to
escort steamer PRAGUE from Aberdeen to Invergordon.
_____
U.87 sank British tanker
CARDITA (8237grt) in
59-18N, 12-50W. Twenty seven crew members were lost on
the tanker. Twenty
three survivors were rescued by destroyer ONSLOW, en
route to Hvalfjord.
_____
Italian steamer BAGNOLI
(246grt) was sunk on a mine
at Navarino.
_____
Minesweeper ABINGDON was
machine gunned by German
fighters at Malta. Six crew were wounded.
_____
Convoy HG.77 departed
Gibraltar escorted by sloops BLACK SWAN and FOWEY and
corvettes BLUEBELL, HELIOTROPE, CARNATION, CAMPION,
STONECROP, MYOSOTIS, and
LA MALOUINE. Destroyers WISHART and VIDETTE provided
additional local escort.
The destroyers were detached on 3 January and returned
to Gibraltar. Anti-submarine trawler SOUTHERN STAR
joined the convoy on 11 January for the day only.
The convoy arrived on 12 January at Liverpool.
_____
Heavy cruiser EXETER
departed Colombo.
_____
Convoy BA.12 departed
Bombay, escorted by armed merchant cruiser CARTHAGE. The
convoy arrived at Aden on 6 January.
Convoys BA.13 to BA.19,
inclusive, continue to
departed Bombay in January, February, and March, but
proceeded to Aden without escort.
_____
Minelayer TEVIOT BANK
departed Singapore for Batavia. She departed Batavia on
9 January, escorted through Sunda Strait by destroyers VAMPIRE, JUPITER, and ENCOUNTER, and arrived at
Trincomalee on 16 January.
_____
Fifty six Japanese
transports departed Formosa for Malaya. The
transports were escorted by the 5th Destroyer Flotilla
with light cruiser
NATORI and destroyers ASAKAZE, HARUKAZE, HATAKAZE, and
MATSUKAZE of the 5th
Destroyer Division, SATSUKI, MINAZUKI, FUMITSUKI, and
NAGATSUKI of the 22nd
Destroyer Division, ASASHIO, OSHIO, MICHISHIO, and
ARASHIO of the 8th
Destroyer Division, light cruiser KASHII, frigate
SHIMUSHU, and destroyers
AYANAMI and ISONAMI.
Heavy cruiser MAYA and
destroyers IKAZUCHI and
INAZUMA covered this force in the South China Sea
until 2 January.
On 3 January, destroyers
ARASHI and HAGIKAZE of the
4th Destroyer Division and FUBUKI replaced destroyers
ASASHIO and OSHIO.
On 3 January, light
cruiser KASHII, frigate
SHIMUSHI, destroyers AYANAMI, ISONAMI, and FUBUKI with
eleven transports were
detached to Bangkok.
_____
American steamer CAPILLO
(5135grt) was sunk by
Japanese bombing at Manila.
_____
American steamer RUTH
ALEXANDER (8135grt) was sunk
by Japanese bombing off northwest Borneo. One
crewman was lost on the steamer.
_____
American steamers
MAGALLANES (1376grt) and MONTANES
(1236grt) were scuttled at Manila.
_____
Troopship ORION and Dutch
liner MARNIX VAN SINT
ALDEGONDE departed Singapore with civilian evacuees for
Australia and Capetown, respectively. The ships were
escorted as far as the Sunda Strait by destroyers TENEDOS and THANET.
_____
Norwegian steamer FINGAL
(2137grt) departed Rangoon on the 28th for
Calcutta. En route,
the steamer was damaged by Japanese bombing.
Steamer FINGAL arrived at
Calcutta on the 31st.
December,
miscellaneous
American light cruiser
OMAHA and destroyer SANDS visited Ascension Island.
_____
Twenty two Western
Approaches destroyers were out
of service due to weather damage.
Destroyer ST ALBANS was
damaged during convoy
escort from Iceland to England. Destroyer
ST ALBANS was repaired at London.
In the Newfoundland Escort
Force, only destroyers
BURNHAM and BELMONT of nineteen destroyers were fit for
duty.
_____
Destroyers SOUTHWOLD and
DULVERTON travelled in
convoy WS.12 Z and arrived at Suez on 2 and 4 January,
respectively.
Destroyers BEAUFORT and
HURWORTH travelled in
convoy WS.14. Destroyer HURWORTH arrived at Alexandria
on 1 February. Destroyer BEAUFORT arrived at Port Said
on 9 February and joined destroyer HERO to escort
DERWENTDALE to Alexandria. When destroyer HERO was
delayed by defects,
destroyer BEAUFORT and the tanker departed on 10
February.
_____
In the last six months of
1941, Italian submarines
conducted forty six missions of carrying fuel to North
Africa.
From 28 November to 31
December, the following
submarines conducted supply missions:MILLO: departed
Taranto 30 November for
Bengazi and Bardia; departed Taranto 23 December for
Tripoli, MENOTTI:
departed Taranto 1 December for Bardia; departed Taranto
14 December for
Benghazi, CAGNI: departed Taranto 2 December for Bardia;
departed Taranto 24
December for Bardia, SETTIMO: departed Messina 3
December for Bardia,
CARACCIOLO : departed Taranto 5 December for Bardia, ST
BON: departed Taranto
8 December for Benghazi; departed Suda Bay for Benghazi
and Derna, MOCENIGO:
departed Taranto 11 December for Bardia and Benghazi;
departed 2, DANDOLO:
departed Messina 12 December for Bardia; departed Suda
Bay 24 December for
Bardia, OTARIA: departed Messina 14 December for Bardia,
BRAGADIN: departed
Taranto 17 December for Tripoli, VENIERO: departed
Taranto 19 December for
Bardia; departed Suda Bay on the 31st for Bardia, MICCA
departed Taranto 28
November for Benghazi; departed Taranto 15 December for
Benghazi, and EMO:
departed departed Taranto 20 December for Bardia.
Submarine EMO departed
Suda Bay 31 December and
entered Bardia on 2 January 1942, shortly after the
British occupation. The
submarine was able to escape unharmed.
Submarines CARACCIOZO on
the 11th off Bardia and ST
BON on 5 January 1942 were
lost on this duty.
Submarine ATROPO was badly
damaged when her
gasoline cargo exploded. The submarine departed Taranto
on 13 November for Bardia. The explosion occurred
on 17 November. The submarine at Navarino on 20
November.
_____
Greek cruiser AVEROFF
departed the Mediterranean for Bombay in mid December.
_____
American troopship MOUNT
VERNON of convoy WS.12X, after offloading troops at
Singapore, was ordered to
Suez to being Australian troops to Colombo and
Fremantle.
In Australia, she loaded
survivors of the Java Sea Battle. She
proceeded to San
Francisco,
via Wellington, arriving in March. The rest of convoy
WS.12X,
escorted by heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE, arrived at Bombay
on the 27th. The convoy then proceeded to Singapore.
Troopship LEONARD WOOD had
boiler problems and
proceeded independently from Trinidad.
At Singapore, on 30
January troopship WAKEFIELD was damaged by a bomb hit
which killed all in the
sickbay. Troopship MOUNT VERNON assisted the
damaged ship. Troopship WAKEFIELD departed that night
for Colombo and repairs. She was repaired at Bombay,
then proceeded to the US, via Capetown.
_____
German steamer SPREEWALD
departed the Far East to return to France. The
steamer was sunk by U.333 on 31 January.
_____
Italian steamers were
seized in Central and South
American ports at the end of 1941
ALABAMA, tanker
|
6725
tons
|
Gulf
of Maracaibo
|
OSMOND
|
ALDA LAURO
|
6006
tons
|
Recife
|
VICTORIALOIDE
|
ANTONIO
LIMONCELLI
|
4574
tons
|
Saranhoa
|
PARAALOIDE
|
AUCTORITAS
|
5228
tons
|
Rio
de Janiero
|
PELOTASLOIDE
|
AUGUSTA
|
5702
tons
|
Baia
|
MINASLOIDE
|
CONTE GRANDE
|
23861
tons
|
unknown
|
MONTICELLO
|
DENTICE, tanker
|
5282
tons
|
Gulf of
Maracaibo
|
name
not changed
|
LAURA LAURO
|
5787
tons
|
Cerea
|
CEARALOIDE
|
LIANA
|
6400
tons
|
Baia
|
BAIALOIDE
|
LIBRATO
|
486
tons
|
Recife
|
OSVALDO
CRUZ
|
NENEMOOSHA
|
91
tons
|
Cuba
|
name
not changed
|
PAMPANO
|
6232 tons
|
Recife
|
RIOLOIDE
|
TEBRO
|
4310
tons
|
Santos
|
AGRELOIDE
|
TERESA
|
6131
tons
|
Rio
de Janiero
|
GOIAZLOIDE
|