Tuesday, 6 February
Battlecruiser REPULSE and destroyers ISIS, KASHMIR, KHARTOUM and KANDAHAR departed the Clyde for Devonport. ISIS called in at Falmouth for refitting, while REPULSE arrived at Plymouth for repairs and degaussing.
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Light cruiser SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow, arrived at Rosyth on the 5th, then began repairs at South Shields on the 6th. These were completed on 15 March and she returned to duties with the 18th Cruiser Squadron.
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Light cruisers AURORA sailed from Scapa Flow and EDINBURGH from Rosyth, and rendezvoused to cover convoy ON.10.
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Armed merchant cruisers CALIFORNIA, escorted by destroyer GURKHA, and AURANIA arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol.
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Destroyer BOADICEA (D 19) carrying the Prime Minister, the First Lord, the First Sea Lord and other important personages, departed Dover escorted by destroyer BEAGLE for Boulogne. The two ships returned to Dover that evening.
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Heavy fog “completely disorganized” the east coast convoys. FN.86, FS.88 and FN.87 were postponed for 24 hours, and FS.89 and FN.88 cancelled. The escort for FN.88 was to proceed to Rosyth, unless required to augment FN.89.
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Estonian steamer ANU (1421grt/总吨位) was mined and sunk between Number 2 and Number 1 Buoy at the entrance to the River Tay on a mine laid by U.13 on 12 December. Seven crew were lost.
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Steamer VERBORMILIA (3275grt/总吨位) went ashore west of Fast Castle Point.
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Steamer HIGHCLIFFE (3247grt/总吨位) went ashore on Fitful Head in the Shetlands, and one of her lifeboats went adrift. Destroyers GALLANT and GRIFFIN searched unsuccessfully for the boat.
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Convoy OG.17 was formed just from the 23 ships of convoy OA.85G (OB.85G did not sail), escorted by destroyers WOLVERINE and AMAZON. They were relieved off the Lizard by destroyer VIMY and sloop SCARBOROUGH, while the escort from the 6th to 13th was French destroyer TIGRE and escort ship MINERVE. The convoy arrived on the 14th.
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Convoy BC.25 departed Barry with steamers BARON CARNEGIE and BATNA escorted by destroyer MONTROSE, and arrived safely in the Loire.
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French auxiliary minesweeper VETERAN (253grt/总吨位) was sunk in an accidental collision with British cable ship ALERT off Calais near Cape Griz Nez in 50-58-20N, 1-43-54E. There were no casualties and ALERT's bow was only slightly damaged.
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Convoy HG.18F departed Gibraltar with 33 ships. In the escort force was minesweeper GOSSAMER and submarine OTWAY which were returning to England for service in Home Waters. Both continued with the convoy until the 13th with OTWAY reaching Portsmouth on the 14th. Destroyer VORTIGERN escorted from the 6th to 8th, sloop FOLKESTONE from the 6th to 14th, sloop ENCHANTRESS from the 8th to 15th after detaching from convoy OG.17F, and destroyer VERSATILE from the 12th to 15th after detaching from OG.18F. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 15th, by which time FOLKESTONE had reached Portsmouth - on the 14th.