Wednesday, 12 March
Light cruiser FIJI arrived at Scapa Flow at 1658 following her repair of the September 1940 torpedo damage.
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Convoy OB.297 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers COSSACK, KEPPEL, LINCOLN, MAORI, SABRE, SHIKARI, VENOMOUS, WOOLSTON, and ZULU, corvette SUNFLOWER, and anti-submarine trawlers NORTHERN DAWN and WELLARD. Destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU were detached on the 14th. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 17th.
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British steamer EMPIRE FROST (7005grt/总吨位) was badly damaged by German bombing in 51-36N, 5-40.
Six crew were lost.
The steamer in tow was again attacked on the 13th and sank.
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U.37 sank Icelandic trawler PERTRUSEY (91grt/总吨位) by gunfire south of Iceland.
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British steamer CAMROUX I (324grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine three miles east of Blyth.
The steamer was towed to Blyth.
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British steamer ESSEX LANCE (6625grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in 51-03N, 1-38E.
The steamer was taken in tow and beached on the 13th two miles northwest of Cromer. She was refloated on the 14th and anchored off Immingham Dock on the 18th.
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Swedish steamer BUENOS AIRES (5646grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing at Liverpool.
The engines were removed from the vessel which was used as a supply ship at Scapa Flow.
British crane MAMMOTH (1542grt/总吨位) was sunk in dock by German bombing at Liverpool. The crane was raised during 1941.
During the night of 12/13 March, British flat EXCELISOR (122grt/总吨位) was sunk at the east end of the south side of Trafalgar Branch Dock, liverpool and British steamers CATRINE (5218grt/总吨位), IMPERIAL STAR (12,427grt/总吨位), and ELAX (7403grt/总吨位), and British tankers EL MIRLO (8092grt/总吨位) and DELPHINULA (8120grt/总吨位) were damaged by German bombing at Liverpool.
Steamer ELAX's machinery was smashed. She was anchored in the River Mersey and used as a storage ship until a new engine was installed.
The bomb which struck steamer IMPERIAL STAR penetrated three decks before exploding.
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Battleships BARHAM and VALIANT and destroyers JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, HOTSPUR, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN departed Suda Bay to cover movements of convoy AG.5.
Destroyers ILEX and GREYHOUND joined this force from Piraeus.
Destroyer HOTSPUR, relieved of escort of tanker DESMOULEA, and destroyer WATERHEN from Force A were ordered to Piraeus to escort convoy AS.19.
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Convoy AG.5 of Greek personnel ships CORINTHIA (3701grt/总吨位), IONIA (1936grt/总吨位), HELLAS (2295grt/总吨位), and MARIE MAERSK (8271grt/总吨位) departed Alexandria escorted by destroyers VAMPIRE and WRYNECK.
Destroyer DECOY departed Alexandria at 2100 to overtake the convoy at daylight on the 13th and join the escort.
Tanker MARIE MAERSK lost touch with the convoy and proceeded to Suda Bay. The convoy arrived at Piraeus late on the 14th.
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Italian troop convoy departed Naples with troopships CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, and VICTORIA escorted by destroyers CAMICIA NERA and GENIERE, joined by destroyer FOLGORE from Palermo.
Distant cover was provided by heavy cruisers TRIESTE, TRENTO, BOLZANO, destroyers CARABINIERE, CORAZZIERE, and AVIERE, torpedo boat DEZZA, and three MAS boats. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 13th.
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Convoy US.9/2 departed Bombay with Danish steamer AMERIKA (10,218grt/总吨位), British EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (21,833grt/总吨位), WAIRANGI (12,436grt/总吨位), and WINDSOR CASTLE (19,141grt/总吨位), Dutch INDRAPOERA (10,825grt/总吨位), JOHAN DE WITT (10,474grt/总吨位), and NIEUW ZEELAND (11,069grt/总吨位), and Turkish minelayer YUZBASHI HAKKI.