Sunday, 3 September

Declarations of war - Great Britain and France declared war on Germany at 1115 and 1700 respectively. Australia, New Zealand, and British India also declared war.

Home Fleet, including German shipping - Adm Forbes was some 400 miles west of the Hebrides having just completed a sweep to the west to cover the trade routes with his battlefleet and destroyers were SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN (defects corrected), ESKIMO, PUNJABI, TARTAR of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND of the 8th Flotilla. ASHANTI and SOMALI had refuelled at Scapa Flow on the 2nd and the rest of the destroyers departed earlier on the 3rd, also after refuelling at Scapa.

Destroyers MASHONA and MATABELE of the 6th Flotilla and FAME, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY of the 8th departed Scapa Flow that evening to join Forbes at sea., FORESTER and FURY carried out anti-submarine attacks at 2140, WNW of Rockall in 58-53N, 18-42.

Adm Forbes was also looking for German liner BREMEN (51,656grt/总吨位) which was known to have departed New York on 30 August. However, BREMEN evaded British patrols and arrived at Murmansk on the 6th.

Destroyer SOMALI did capture German steamer HANNAH BOGE (2372grt/总吨位) which had departed Shediac Bay in New Brunswick on 26 August. She was intercepted at 63?20N, 16?35, taken to Kirkwall, arriving on the 5th, and later renamed CROWN ARUN in British service.

That evening at 1840, on report of German warships leaving Schillig Roads, the Home Fleet was deployed to the east of the Fair Isle Channel, arriving on station at 0600 on the 5th.

During the evening of 3 September, destroyer ESKIMO experienced a turbine problem and was returning to Scapa Flow alone when she encountered FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE and FOXHOUND. She was at first taken for German, but no shots were fired and the encounter ended uneventfully. ESKIMO safely arrived at Scapa Flow and the defects were corrected on the 11th.

Loss of British liner Athenia - U.30 torpedoed ATHENIA (13,581grt/总吨位) south of Rockall Bank in 56?44N, 14?05. Soon on the scene were destroyers ELECTRA, ESCORT, American steamer CITY OF FLINT (4963grt/总吨位), Norwegian steamer KNUTE NELSON (5749grt/总吨位), Swedish pleasure yacht SOUTHERN CROSS.

Lost with ATHENIA, which sank on the 4th, were 93 passengers and 19 crew members. The 376 survivors were picked up by SOUTHERN CROSS and of these, 220 were transferred to CITY OF FLINT and the other 156 to the destroyers.

Adm Forbes had also dispatched destroyer FAME from his screen at 2300 to assist. When she was not needed to lift survivors, FAME carried out anti-submarine sweeps in the area.

KNUTE NELSON took the survivors to Galway and the rest were taken to Greenock.

CITY OF FLINT later took 223 American survivors to Halifax, arriving on the 13th, and escorted into port by US Coast Guard cutters BIBB (WPG.31) and CAMPBELL (WPG.32).

British northern waters - battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived at Scapa Flow at 1030/3rd, escorted by destroyers FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, ESKIMO, TARTAR.

Destroyer VALOROUS and sloop ENCHANTRESS departed Rosyth on the 2nd for patrol in the Pentland Firth.

British east coast - coastal minelayer PLOVER laid mines off Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth in Operation BRM.

Destroyers BROKE, WANDERER, WHITEHALL of the 15th Destroyer Flotilla departed Rosyth for patrol on the 1st. WANDERER and WHITEHALL carried out an anti-submarine sweep off Blyth, both destroyers arriving at Scapa Flow on the 4th.

German trawler SOPHIE BUSSE (215grt/总吨位) was seized by British forces at Grimsby and renamed ELSIE CAM in British service.

Destroyer WITCH, 17th Flotilla departed Rosyth for Harwich on 31 August. (30th Destroyer Division, 17th Flotilla was at Milford Haven for escort duties.)

Escort vessel/destroyer WHITLEY and sloop PELICAN departed Harwich on the 3rd

German steamer POMONA (3457grt/总吨位) was seized by British forces at London. Although the crew set her on fire, the ship was saved and renamed EMPIRE MERCHANT in British service.

Humber Force - light cruisers GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and destroyers JERVIS, JACKAL, JAVELIN, JERSEY had departed the Humber on the 1st and were sweeping off the Norwegian coast for German shipping.

Destroyers JANUS and JUNO arrived in the Humber for operations on the 3rd after working up.

Destroyer JUPITER was at Grimsby repairing defects and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th.

The Humber Force arrived at Rosyth on the 7th after this patrol.

British North Sea submarine patrols - began off Horn Reef, in the approaches to the Kiel Canal and Wilhelmshaven, and on the extension of the Montrose-Obrestad air patrol line - the last sixty miles of which was beyond the range of the Anson aircraft then in service.

Operating off the Norwegian coast and stationed twelve miles apart were 2nd Flotilla submarines SEAHORSE, which had departed from Dundee on 24 August, SPEARFISH from Portland on 25 August, STURGEON from Portland on 27 August, SWORDFISH, also from Dundee.

SPEARFISH was attacked by a U-boat on the 3rd but dived when torpedo tracks were seen and escaped unharmed.

STURGEON was bombed by friendly aircraft in 56-34N, 01-04 at 1620 and 1642/4th.

SEAHORSE was also attacked by friendly aircraft, a RAF Coastal Command Anson of 233 Squadron, east of Dundee, at 2007/5th. She sustained minor damage, a claim made by the aircraft, but the Anson herself crashed into the River Eden because of fuel leaking from a damaged tank. The crew were rescued from their dinghy.

Submarines STERLET, OXLEY, and TRITON departed Dundee on patrol on 3, 4, and 5 September, respectively.

Submarines H.32, L.26, L.27, UNDINE, UNITY, URSULA of the 6th Flotilla departed Blyth on 31 August for patrols in the Heligoland Bight, being withdrawn for refuelling at dusk on the 11th and arriving back at Blyth after dawn on the 13th.

Danish waters - Danish fishing vessel NORDSTRAND (30grt/总吨位) was sunk 70 miles west of Horn Reef Light by a mine.

German waters - after being arrested for a debt on 28 August, steamer NAPHTHA SHIPPER (5897grt/总吨位) was seized by German forces at Hamburg and renamed ALTENGAMME in German service.

Baltic - U.14 attacked Polish submarine SEP south of Aland Island in the Baltic without success. U.18 also encountered a Polish boat on the 3rd, but was unable to attack.

Polish destroyer WICHER and minelayer GRYF, along with other smaller Polish units, were anchored at Hela, when they were attacked and damaged by German destroyers LEBERECHT MAAS and WOLFGANG ZENKER. MAAS sustained some damage and four dead from a shore based battery hit and the German ships were forced to withdraw without destroying the Polish ships. MAAS was repaired at Swinemünde, completing on the 10th and Norwegian steamer BJORNVIK (812grt/总吨位) was damaged by the German ships gunfire at Gdynia. Failing to deal with the Polish ships, the German destroyers called in the Luftwaffe which sank WICHER, GRYF, minesweeper MEWA, and gunboat GENERAL HALLER two hours later. German forces later raided GRYF, which was sunk as a target ship ten miles north of Gydnia.

German MTB S.23 sank Polish pilot vessel LLOYD BYDGOSKI (80grt/总吨位) at 54-35N, 19-08E near Hela.

Polish submarine WILK laid twenty mines east of Hela at 54-31N, 18-48E.

German minelaying operations - Beginning on the 3rd and continuing through to the 17th, German light cruisers EMDEN, K?LN, K?NIGSBERG, LEIPZIG, NüRNBERG and sloop GRILLE covered minelaying operations from Terschelling 150 miles northward into the Heligoland Bight.

Destroyer HANS LODY was damaged on the 4th by an explosion of her anti-sweep device while loading mines. Her stern was damaged.

The first operation departed late on the 4th with three groups: First group – K?LN, K?NIGSBERG and destroyers DIETHER VON ROEDER and HANS LüDEMAN; second group - sloop GRILLE with destroyers HERMANN KüNNE and KARL GALSTER; third group - minelayers COBRA and ROLAND with destroyers ERICH GIESE and THEODOR RIEDEL.

Minefield F (Martha Hans) was laid by COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL from Cuxhaven on the 4th, where they returned after the operation.

Minefield A (Martha Ida) was also laid COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL sailing from Cuxhaven on the 5th.

Two barrages of Martha Gustav were laid on the 8th by COBRA and ROLAND, this time with destroyer FRIEDRICH IHN. After the operation, the ships proceeded to Emden.

Minefield B (Martha Eins), was laid on the 13th by minelayers COBRA, KAISER, ROLAND from Wilhelmshaven and by HANSESTADT DANZIG with destroyers BERND VON ARNIM, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, THEODOR RIEDEL. Torpedo boats of the 6th Flotilla escorted the operation.

Minefield C (Martha Zwei), was laid on the 15th by COBRA, HANSESTADT DANZIG, KAISER, ROLAND, and destroyers ARNIM, STEINBRINCK, ECKHOLDT, RIEDEL with Torpedo and S-boats screening the operation.

Minefield G (Martha Drei), was laid on the 17th by COBRA and HANSESTADT DANZIG, escorted by torpedo boats of the 6th Flotilla.

U-boat operations - U.12, U.36, U.56, U.59, U.58 were on a patrol line off Great Fisher Bank and U.13, U.15, U.17, U.21, U.23 in the southern North Sea.

U.16, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd, laid mines in Tees Bay off Hartlepool on the 5th. Before returning to Wilhelmshaven on the 8th, she reconnoitred the approaches to Scapa Flow in the Pentland Firth.

U.20 was on passage for patrol in the northern North Sea off Utsire.

U.23, off Flamborough to lay mines, was recalled to Wilhelmshaven before the minefield was laid. They were laid by U.15 on the 6th.

U.24 had departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd to lay mines off Dunkirk, but the operation was cancelled, and she returned to Kiel on the 5th.

Minelaying off Dover and Calais had already been cancelled due to shortage of boats.

Dover Straits - destroyers CODRINGTON, BASILISK, BEAGLE, BLANCHE, BOADICEA, BOREAS, BRAZEN, BRILLIANT departed Dover on 31 August for patrol in the English Channel. The patrols were divided into two sectors - a north patrol area between Goodwin Sands and Sandetti Bank, and a south patrol area between the South Goodwins and Ruytingen Bank.

English Channel - in the Western Approaches Command, destroyers ESCORT and ELECTRA of the 12th Destroyer Flotilla departed Portland for patrol on the 2nd. ENCOUNTER departed Portland on the 2nd to join sister ship ECLIPSE at Plymouth, and EXMOUTH and ESCAPADE, also of the 12th Flotilla departed Portland on the 3rd.

Destroyer KEITH, 17th Destroyer Flotilla departed Plymouth on the 3rd.

French Channel coast - destroyers MALCOLM, VANSITTART, WIVERN, 16th Flotilla from Portsmouth arrived at Le Havre on the 3rd.

Central and South Atlantic - light cruisers CAPETOWN and COLOMBO departed Gibraltar for patrol west of Portugal in the area of 38N, 20, and arrived back on the 12th.

Light cruiser DANAE departed Freetown for Simonstown, arriving on the 11th.

Light cruiser AJAX sailed from Rio de Janiero on 30 August and on the 3rd in 33?30S, 53?30 captured German steamer OLINDA (4576grt/总吨位) which had departed Montevideo on the 2nd. As AJAX could not spare a prize crew, OLINDA was sunk with scuttling charges after the crew was placed aboard British tanker SAN GERALDO (12,915grt/总吨位). AJAX had the distinction of firing the first British shots of the war.

Australian Navy - heavy cruiser CANBERRA departed Garden Island, Sydney for patrol late on the 2nd, followed by light cruiser HOBART and destroyer VOYAGER on the 3rd. HOBART patrolled the trade route between Gabo Island and Wilson's Promontory and VOYAGER in the vicinity of Cape Howe.

Destroyer VENDETTA, also after departing Garden Island, and on patrol 100 miles east of Port Stephens sighted steamer SPEYBANK (5154grt/总吨位).

Destroyer VAMPIRE was on patrol off Cape Otway looking for Italian steamer ROMOLO (9780grt/总吨位) which later arrived at Brisbane.

Sloops SWAN and YARRA were on anti-submarine patrol off Sydney.