Wednesday,4 March

Australian sloop YARRA (Lt Cdr R Rankin RAN) escorting depot ship ANKING (Captain JPLReid) and tanker FRANCOL with motor minesweeper MMS.51 (Lt FNixon RNR) which all departed Tjilatjap on the 2nd, were sunk by Japanese warships 300 miles south of Java.Indian sloop JUMNA had been with the convoy, but detached at Tjilatjap for other duties.

YARRA - Cdr Rankin, Lt FESmith RANR, Probationary Temporary Lt KLDawson RANR, Lt GLWright RANVR, Lt NMAnderson RANVR, Temporary Engineering Lt CJWilks RANR, Surgical Lt WJMcLaren-Robinson RAN, Gunner RWDBull RAN and 124 ratings were missing. Five British ratings were also lost. Also lost were survivors from Dutch steamer PARIGI picked up on the 3rd March. Only one of the PARIGI's survivors survived the second sinking. Twenty crew and the sole Dutch survivor died on the rafts prior to rescue.

ANKING - Lt Cdr SLGarrett RNR, Temporary Lt JMcNMorren RNR, Temporary Lt JNeville RNZNVR, Paymaster Lt LEO'Shaughnessy RNR, Lt MMelville MRNVR, Temporary Paymaster Lt AWGGibson RNR, Temporary S/Lt RWSmith RNZNVR, S/Lt EELeyden MRNVR, Lt Cdr (E) JRobertson RNR, Lt (E) JMillar RNR, Temporary Acting Warrant Supply Officer FOliver, Temporary Lt (E) WFPhillips RNR, S/Lt (E) SLee RNR, S/Lt (E) CJWood RNR, Temporary S/Lt KTHamblett RANVR, and twenty five RAN ratings were lost. Lt LLCooper, MRNVR, Temporary Lt CO'Neill RNR (died 8 March), Temporary Surgeon Lt GSCross MRNVR (died 21 March), Temporary Lt FTaylor RNZNVR and fifty three ratings were picked up by Dutch steamer TAWALI.

FRANCOL - two survivors were picked up.

MMS.51 - survivors were rescued by Dutch steamer TJIMANOEK on the 7th.

Thirteen ratings from YARRA and three from ANKING were rescued on the 7th by Dutch submarine K.11 and landed in Colombo on the 13th.

Sixteen survivors from ANKING and MMS.51 reached the Java coast and were made prisoners of war.

One steamer, one of a number unnamed ones whichsailed at the same time with the convoy, was captured.

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Light cruiser SHEFFIELD departed Seidisfjord on Russian convoy duty and was mined three hours out. One rating died of wounds. Escorted to Seidisfjord by destroyers BEDOUIN and FAULKNOR, she arrived at 1100/5th and after temporary repairs, departed on the 23rd for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 29th. Repaired at the Hebburn yard in the Tyne, she completed 20 July.

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Convoy OS.21 departed Liverpool 4 March, escorts:

joined

detached

4th

sloop Aberdeen, escort ships Hartland, Walney

5th

corvette Thyme, minesweeper Boston

11th

sloop Ibis

19th

destroyer Wivern, corvettes Aubretia, Tamarisk

21st

sloop Commandant Drogou, corvettes Bellwort, Bergamot, Genista

Aberdeen, Hartland, Walney, Ibis

convoy arrived Freetown 24 March

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Convoy SL.102 departed Freetown 4 March, escorts:

joined

detached

5th

destroyer Boreas, corvettes Genista, Violet

7th

sloops Egret, Fleetwood, corvette Orchis, escort ships Banff, Fishguard, A/S yacht Philante

8th

Boreas, Genista, Violet

26th

A/S trawler Man O’ War

convoy arrived Liverpool 26 March

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Three groups of ships arrived at Colombo – (1) Convoy DM.3, battleship RAMILLIES and destroyer NORMAN, (2) destroyers DECOY, FORTUNE and the Dutch ISAAC SWEERS, (3) netlayer GUARDIAN, armed merchant cruiser RANCHI and Dutch submarine depot ship COLUMBA.

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Light cruiser DURBAN arrived at Mauritius.