Wednesday, 9 July

Minelayers AGAMEMNON, MENETHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC, escorted by destroyers CASTLETON, WELLS, and HEYTHROP, laid minefield SN.67A of the Northern Barrage.

On the 8th, light cruiser NIGERIA and later on the same day battlecruiser REPULSE departed Scapa Flow to cover the operation.

At 1130 on the 10th, destroyer HEYTHROP was detached and after collecting mails at Loch Alsh proceeded to Scapa Flow, where she arrived at 2030.

Cruiser NIGERIA arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 10th.

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Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK arrived at Hvalfjord after Denmark Strait patrol.After refuelling, the cruiser departed for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 11th.

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Heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord. En route, she intercepted Panamanian steamer ST-CERGUE (4260grt/总吨位) in 63-28N, 7-55 and sent her to Skopenfjord under armed guard. The cruiser on the 10th at Hvalfjord.

The cruiser arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 15th.

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Light cruisers AURORA, ARETHUSA, and MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to escort convoy WS.9C.

The cruisers arrived on the 10th. Light cruiser AURORA was replaced in the operation by cruiser minelayer MANXMAN. The cruiser arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 13th.

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A German submarine was reported by British aircraft in 60-36N, 3-20.

Polish destroyer KRAKOWIAK and destroyer ECHO departed Scapa Flow at 2100 to search for the submarine.

The Polish destroyer was later relieved by Destroyer WINCHESTER, which departed Scapa Flow at 1200 on the 10th. The Polish destroyer arrived at Scapa Flow at 0030 on the 11th.

The search was unsuccessful.

Destroyers ECHO and WINCHESTER arrived at Scapa Flow at 0840 on the 11th.

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British steam vessel BLUE MERMAID (97grt/总吨位) was lost on a mine, eight miles 185° from Clacton in 51-39-01N, 1-08-05E. Two crew were lost on the vessel.

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U.98 sank British steamer DESIGNER (5945grt/总吨位) in 42-59N, 31-40.

Of a crew of seventy seven, one lascars and one gunner were rescued on the 10th in 42-59N, 31-40. The rest were lost.

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U.98 sank British steamer INVERNESS (4897grt/总吨位) in 42-46N, 32-45.

Thirty six of a crew of forty four were rescued.

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German minelayers TANNENBERG, PREUSSEN, and HANSESTADT DANZIG, returning from Finland to Swinemunde, were sunk on the Swedish mine barrage east of Oland.

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The Soviet 2nd Destroyer Division with destroyers TASHKENT, BODRY, BOIKI, BESPOSCHCHADNY, and BEZUPRECHNY operated in the Fidonisi area in the Black Sea on a shipping sweep, but did not make contact.

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Leaving Tobruk Harbour, Destroyer DECOY and Australian destroyer STUART was damaged by near misses from German bombing.

Both destroyers required repair on their return to Alexandria.

Destroyer HERO replaced destroyer DECOY in the Tobruk operations.

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Destroyer NAPIER departed Alexandria for Port Said to complete repairs on her turbines.

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Submarine CACHALOT departed Alexandria on a supply run to Malta, where she safely arrived on the 16th.

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Submarine TORBAY sank German steamers LVI and LV and damaged L 12 with artillery and scuttling charges east of Kithera.

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French destroyers GUEPARD, VALMY, and VAUQUELIN departed Tripoli, Syria, for Salonika to pick up troops transported there by rail from France.

These destroyers were able to get within two hundred miles of Syria when they were located by British aircraft.

The French destroyers were ordered to retire to Toulon, putting an end to the naval phase of the Syria operations.

French sloop ELAN, auxiliary tanker L'ADOUR (4500grt/总吨位), small tanker CYRUS (405grt/总吨位), patrol vessels DJEBEL SAMIN, JEAN MIC, and MASSALIA,minesweepers AVOCETTE and LECID, tugs MARIUS, CHAMBRUM, and MARSEILLAISE, and trawler LA VAILLANTE were interned at Iskanderun, Turkey.

Submarine CAIMAN proceeded to Bizerte.

On 18 September, the last of the interned ships had been moved, under Turkish escort, to Mersin and Erdek.