Monday, 5 January
Cruiser minelayer ADVENTURE departed Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow, arriving later that day.
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Destroyer MATABELE departed Rosyth at 0900 for Scapa Flow after boiler cleaning. The destroyer arrived early on the 6th.
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Destroyer CHIDDINGFOLD arried at Scapa Flow after escorting steamer PRAGUE from Aberdeen to Invergordon.
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Submarine SEAWOLF departed Murmansk on patrol.
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American heavy cruisers TUSCALOOSA and WICHITA with destroyers GRAYSON and MEREDITH departed Hvalfjord for a three day training cruise in the Denmark Strait.
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Convoy OS.16 departed Liverpool.The convoy was joined on the 6th by sloops ABERDEEN, ENCHANTRESS, and IBIS, escort vessel WALNEY, and naval trawler CAVINA.The trawler was detached on the 11th and the rest on the 20th.
On the 11th, destroyer CLARE joined and was detached on the 20th. On the 20th, destroyer WILD SWAN and corvettes AURICULA, FRITILLARY, NIGELLA, and ORCHIS joined the convoy and arrived with it at Freetown on the 23rd. On the 21st, corvettes BURDOCK, FREESIA, and WALLFLOWER joined the convoy and arrived at Freetown with it.
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Steamer LARGO (2209grt/总吨位) in convoy FN.97 was damaged on a mine off Southwold. The steamer was able to reach Harwich with assistance on the 6th.
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Tanker SCOTTISH MUSICIAN (6998grt/总吨位) in convoy FN.97 was damaged on a mine off Southwold. The tanker was drydocked at Tilbury.
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Steam trawler LODDON (200grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing NW of 18D Buoy, Whitby.
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In Malta convoy operation MF.2, troopship GLENGYLE, escorted by Force B of light cruisers NAIAD and EURYALUS with destroyers GURKHA, SIKH, KIPLING, KINGSTON, AND FOXHOUND departed Alexandria at 2230/5th.
Supply ship BRECONSHIRE, escorted by Force C of destroyers LANCE, LIVELY, JAGUAR, and HAVOCK departed Malta at 1830/6th.
At 1300/7th in 33-50N, 19-20E, the forces rendezvoused and supply ship BRECONSHIRE and destroyer HAVOCK joined Force B to return to Alexandria and troopship GLENGYLE and destroyer SIKH joined Force C to return to Malta.
Light cruiser DIDO, which was delayed leaving Alexandria repairing engine room defects, departed at daylight on the 8th and joined Force C at 0800 that day.
There was no enemy reaction to this movement.
The Malta group arrived back at Malta at 0800/8th. The Alexandria ships arrived during the night of 8/9 January.
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Escort destroyers FARNDALE and AVONDALE departed Alexandria and carried out an anti-submarine search in the vicinity of Alexandria. On the 6th, FARNDALE returned to Alexandria and AVONVALE joined convoy AT.14.
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Convoy AT.12 departed Alexandria, escorted by destroyer ERIDGE and anti-submarine trawlers. Destroyers LEGION and ISAAC SWEERS departed as a striking force. The convoy arrived at Tobruk on the 7th and the escorts returned to Alexandria escorting empty store ships. At 1652 on the 8th, LEGION attacked a submarine shadowing the convoy. LEGION and ISAAC SWEERS made five attacks on the submarine.
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Submarine UPHOLDER sank Italian submarine AMMIRAGLIO ST BON in 38-22N, 15-22E. Three crew from the submarine were rescued.
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Submarine PROTEUS sank Italian troopship CITTA DI PALERMO (5413grt/总吨位) three miles west of Cape Dukato.
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Submarine TRUANT arrived at Port Said from Alexandria for docking prior to proceeding to the Far East.
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Light cruisers DRAGON with the British Naval Far East Staff (Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton and eight staff officers) and light cruiser DURBAN with Rear Admiral Palliser and seven staff officers departed Singapore for Batavia. The cruisers safely arrived on the 6th and became based there.
Also departing with them were transports DEVONSHIRE and LANCASHIRE. The former carrying personnel and equipment of the Far East Combined Bureau for transfer to Colombo. The transports were escorted to Sunda Strait by destroyer ENCOUNTER, later joined by destroyer VAMPIRE.
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Convoy DM.1 departed Addu Atoll, escorted by heavy cruiser EXETER, light cruiser EMERALD, and sloop JUMNA for Singapore, arriving on the 13th.
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Greek light cruiser GEORGIOS AVEROFF arrived at Bombay from Trincomalee.
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Light cruiser COLOMBO departed Aden for Mombasa escorting steamer MENDOZA, and arriving on the 9th.
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Light cruiser GLASGOW departed Colombo escorting steamer CLAN FORBES to Male, Maldives, and Addu Atoll. They arrived at Male on the 6th and departed that day for Addu, arriving on the 7th.
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Indian sloop INDUS departed Trincomalee for Colombo, arriving on the 7th.
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Submarine depot ship LUCIA departed Bombay for Colombo for depot ship duties.
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Japanese submarine I.56 sank Steamer KWANTUNG (2626grt/总吨位) at 9-12S, 111-10E. The submarine rammed a lifeboat and machine gunned the other lifeboats. Of a crew of 98 and 35 military personnel, 35 survivors were picked up the next day.