Saturday, 6 January

Destroyer FOXHOUND, escorting damaged battleship NELSON, attacked a submarine contact south of Wolf Rock in 49‑39N, 5‑50. 5. ————

Armed merchant cruisers ANDANIA, CHITRAL and WORCESTERSHIRE departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol. Light cruiser COLOMBO arrived at Scapa Flow. ————

Armed merchant cruiser LAURENTIC, returning to the Clyde, went ashore southwest of Islay. Tug ENGLISHMAN was carrying some of the survivors of steamer ROTHESAY CASTLE (7016grt/总吨位) and had to transfer them to a destroyer before she could assist. However, LAURENTIC got off without assistance and proceeded to Belfast arriving on the 7th. She was under repair until 25 May. ————

Convoy ON.7 of one British, one Norwegian and four Finnish ships departed Methil escorted by destroyers ESKIMO, TARTAR, KASHMIR, KHARTOUM and submarine TRITON. KASHMIR had departed the Clyde on the 4th to join the escort and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th, while KHARTOUM had left the Clyde on the 5th and refuelled at Scapa Flow on the 6th before proceeding to Rosyth. ESKIMO developed defects and was relieved by destroyer ENCOUNTER until joined by destroyer KANDAHAR which departed Scapa Flow at midnight on the 7th. Light cruisers GLASGOW and EDINBURGH left Rosyth on the 7th to cover the convoy, which arrived safely at Bergen on the 9th. ————

Convoy FN.64 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer WOOLSTON and sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, but was cancelled when progress was impeded by fog. ————

Convoy FS.66 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyer/escort vessel VEGA and sloop LONDONDERRY. Sloop STORK was intended to join them, but (as noted on the 5th) fouled the boom net at Inchkeith and had to return to harbour. VEGA collided with steamer REGFOS (1548grt/总吨位) on the 8th, but was was able to continue with the convoy, which arrived at Southend on the 8th. After temporary repairs at Sheerness, VEGA departed on the 9th and proceeded to Rosyth, but as there were no facilities available for her there, went on to Dundee, arriving on the 12th for repairs which completed on the 24th. ————

Steamer CITY OF MARSEILLES (8317grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine laid by U.13 (source - Seekrieg) 1?miles SE of No.1 Black Buoy, River Tay. ————

Tanker BRITISH LIBERTY (8485grt/总吨位) was sunk on a British defensive minefield two miles NE of Dyck Light Vessel; twenty four crew, including a Marine gunner, were lost. ————

GERMAN DESTROYER MINELAYING IN THE THAMES ESTUARY

During the night of the 6th/7th, German destroyers of the 1st Flotilla, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, ERICH STEINBRINCK and FRIEDRICH IHN, supported by KARL GALSTER, RICHARD BEITZEN and HERMANN SCHOEMANN laid mines in the Thames Estuary. Destroyer GRENVILLE and six merchant ships for 21,617 tons were lost in the field.

On the 6th, motor trawler ETA (81grt/总吨位) six miles NW of Outer Gabbard Light Vessel; the crew were saved.

On the 7th, steamer CEDRINGTON COURT (5160grt/总吨位) two miles NE of North Goodwins Light Vessel in 51-22N, 1-35E; again the crew were saved.

On the 7th, steamer TOWNELEY (2888grt/总吨位) one mile ENE of North East Spit Buoy; crew were saved when they rowed to shore in the Margate lifeboat (?).

On the 9th, steamer DUNBAR CASTLE (10,002grt/总吨位) of convoy OA.69 in 51‑23N, 01‑34E; nine crew were lost and the survivors rescued by trawler CALVI (363grt/总吨位) and other small ships.

On the 9th, Dutch steamer TRUIDA (176grt/总吨位) in 51‑27N, 01‑50E; crew were rescued by Dutch trawler FRISO (250grt/总吨位) which transferred them to Dutch steamer TIBERIUS (1712grt/总吨位).

On the 15th, steamer KILDALE (3877grt/总吨位) was damaged two miles east of South Shiphead Buoy.

On the 16th, Belgian steamer JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE (3422grt/总吨位) in 51‑32N, 01‑33E; four crew were lost and the survivors rescued by steamer MICKLETON (777grt/总吨位).

On the 19th, destroyer GRENVILLE was sunk east of the Thames Estuary. ————

U.30 laid mines in Liverpool Bay, on which four merchant ships were sunk and one badly damaged. ————

German steamer FRANKENWALD (5062grt/总吨位) was lost by stranding near Bratholmen and Felsen. ————

German steamer BAHIA (4118grt/总吨位) departed Bahia, arrived at Narvik on 6 February, and continued on to Hamburg which she reached on the 17th. ————

Convoy HX.15 departed Halifax at 0900 escorted by Canadian destroyers FRASER and RESTIGOUCHE, which detached on the 7th. Ocean escort was battleship RESOLUTION which detached on the 18th, and proceeded to Plymouth, arriving on the 19th for refitting. Destroyers WREN, VANESSA and VANQUISHER were with the convoy from the 18th to 19th, when it arrived at Liverpool. ————

PASSAGE OF FIRST ANZAC CONVOY TO NORTH AFRICA

The first of the Australian-New Zealand troop convoys, US.1, departed Wellington with liners ORION (23,456grt/总吨位), EMPRESS OF CANADA (21,517grt/总吨位), STRAITHAIRD (22,284grt/总吨位) and RANGITATA (16,969grt/总吨位) carrying troops for North African service, and escorted by battleship RAMILLIES and Australian heavy cruiser CANBERRA from Wellington. New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER departed Wellington on the 4th, arrived at Lyttleton on the 5th and after collecting liners DUNERA (11,162grt/总吨位) and SOBIESKI (11,030grt/总吨位) left again the same day. They joined the convoy in Cook Strait off North Island on the 6th.

On the 9th, liners ORCADES (23,456grt/总吨位), STRATHNAVER (22,457grt/总吨位), OTRANTO (20,032grt/总吨位) and ORFORD (19,941grt/总吨位) escorted by Australian heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA departed Sydney and joined the convoy on the 10th off Sydney.

Light cruiser LEANDER arrived at Sydney on the 11th. Australian light cruiser SYDNEY joined the convoy on the 11th and was detached on the 12th in Jervis Bay. Liner EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt/总吨位) from Melbourne joined on the 12th.

Earlier, on the 8th, heavy cruiser KENT and the French SUFFREN departed Colombo and arrived at Fremantle on the 17th. On the 20th they relieved the escorting Australian cruisers, which arrived in Fremantle for refuelling.

On the convoy's arrival at Colombo on the 30th, KENT and SUFFREN were in turn relieved by Force I - aircraft carrier EAGLE, heavy cruiser SUSSEX (Flag Murray) and Australian light cruiser HOBART.

Force I had been conducting sweeps in the Indian Ocean since the 15th when it departed Colombo, arriving back on the 18th. It left again on the 25th, reached Trincomalee on the 28th, and sailed on the 30th to meet the convoy. Reaching Colombo on the 30th together, both force and convoy sailed for the Middle East on 1 February.

Destroyer WESTCOTT departed Singapore on the 28th, arrived at Colombo on 1 February and left the same day as a convoy escort. French liner ATHOS II (15,276grt/总吨位) joined the convoy at Colombo.

The convoy was also screened by submarines OTUS and OLYMPUS, patrolling submerged in Nine Degree Channel between the Laccadives and Minicoy after investigating the Maldives, Addu and Chagos groups. The convoy's entry into the Red Sea on 8 February was preceded by anti-submarine patrols by Australian destroyer VENDETTA, which had been detached from the Mediterranean Fleet, and WESTCOTT, which reached Aden on the 8th. The convoy escorts were detached on the 10th and US.1 arrived safely at Suez on 12 February. ————

German steamer RIO GRANDE (6062grt/总吨位) departed Rio Grande del Sol, Brazil, but returned on the 7th to avoid contact with light cruiser AJAX.