Monday, 4 September

Western Atlantic - German steamer CHRISTOPH V DOORNUM (3751grt/总吨位) was seized by Canadian forces at Botwood, Newfoundland, and renamed EMPIRE COMMERCE in British service.

Faeroes - destroyer FORTUNE attacked a submarine contact 30 miles south of Munken Rock in 61-11N, 07-39.

British northern waters - battleships ROYAL OAK and ROYAL SOVEREIGN departed Scapa Flow, escorted by destroyers BROKE WANDERER, WHITEWALL for patrol in the North Sea.

WANDERER attacked a submarine contact at 1945, 90 miles east of the Orkneys, southeast of Sumburgh Head in 59-23N, 00-11. WHITEHALL rejoined the escort at 1128/5th.

Destroyers FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY departed Scapa Flow on the 5th and joined the battleships at 1330/6th.

The force arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1709/6th.

British east coast - Destroyer JACKAL attacked a submarine contact NE of Flamborough Head in 54-29N, 00-05E.

U.13 laid mines off Orfordness during the night of 4/5 September. Two merchant ships were sunk and one damaged in this field. U.17 laid mines in the Downs.

Norwegian waters - German coaster LIANNE (125grt/总吨位) was lost between Graverne, Sweden, and Hamburg about this time. She reportedly scuttled herself after sighting British light cruisers GLASGOW and SOUTHAMPTON sweeping in the area. However, it appears she was lost in a German minefield on the 7th, as reported by Greek steamer KOSTI (3933grt/总吨位) herself damaged earlier in the same field. There were no survivors from LIANNE. (Corrections thanks to Mark Viglietti)

German steamer JOHANNES MOLKENBUHR (5294grt/总吨位) was intercepted by SOUTHAMPTON and scuttled herself 17 miles west of Stadlandet in 61?40N, 03?51E. Destroyer JERVIS took off the crew, landing them at Invergordon on the 6th, while JERSEY finished off the sinking ship.

German waters - U.3 and U.4 departed Wilhelmshaven for patrol in the Skagerrak, and U.21 and U.23 arrived back.

Destroyers assigned to the Eastern Area for the Polish campaign transferred to the North Sea to cover minelayers laying the “West Wall” minefield in the Heligoland Bight.

German MTB S.17 of the 2nd Flotilla was badly damaged by rough seas during North Sea operations, paid off on the 8th and used for spares. A number of other S-boats were less severely damaged in these operations.

RAF attacks on German naval units – were carried out at Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel. Five Blenheims each of Nos 107, 110, and 139 Squadrons and six Wellington bombers each of Nos 49 and 83 targetted Schillig Roads, while six Wellingtons of 9 Squadron and eight from 149 Squadron targetted Brunsbüttel.

Battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU at Brunsbüttel were attacked but escaped any damage.

At Wilhelmshaven, light cruiser EMDEN, just entering port followed by U.23, was damaged by splinters from two near misses and a Blenheim crashing into her bows. Nine crew were killed but EMDEN was completely repaired on the 16th.

At Schillig Roads, pocket battleship ADMIRAL SCHEER was hit by three 250 pound bombs which failed to explode and caused no damage. SCHEER had problems with her main engines, but was ready for sea on 10 October. She continued to have difficulties and started an extensive overhaul in February 1940 lasting into October 1940.

Destroyer DIETHER VON ROEDER, close by SCHEER was near missed, but not damaged.

Of the aircraft involved, ten, including all five of 139 Squadron failed to find the target and returned to base, one bombed Esbjerg, Denmark, and three attacked HM ships in the North Sea without success. Losses amounted to seven - two Wellingtons of 9 Squadron, four Blenheims of 107 Squadron, and one Blenheim of 110 Squadron shot down.

Baltic - Polish submarine SEP on patrol east of Hela fired two torpedoes at German minesweeper M.4 of the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla. M.4 was not hit, counter-attacked with depth charges and damaged SEP, which was able to continue her patrol.

German minelayers HANSESTADT DANZIG and TANNENBERG, escorted by motor minesweepers R-boats of the 5th Motor Minesweeper Flotilla laid minefield Undine II the southern entrance to the Sound. Training ship BRUMMER, escorted by minesweepers M.75, M.84, and M.85, laid minefield Undine III. On the 5th, TANNENBERG laid Undine I.

Minelayer PREUSSEN laid mines in minefield Grosser Bar at the entrance to the Great Belt. Greek steamer KOSTI (3933grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine in this field, two miles SE of Falsterbo Light Vessel after ignoring warnings from German patrol boats.

English Channel - Destroyer ACHERON departed Portland with a MA/SB on anti-submarine exercises with submarine H.31. Later that day at 1350, destroyer KELLY, which was working up nearby in Weymouth Bay, reported being attacked by a submarine. KELLY and ACHERON attacked a contact at 1550. H.31 was not damage

Destroyer WESSEX made two anti-submarine attacks off Eddystone Light during the day - in 50-13N, 03-32 at 1215 and in 50-09N, 3-59 at 1538.

Aircraft carrier COURAGEOUS departed Plymouth at 0845 on anti-submarine patrol with destroyers ANTHONY, ACASTA, AMAZON, ARDENT. Destroyer ECLIPSE attacked a submarine contact near COURAGEOUS off the Eddystone in 50-01.5N, 4-09 at 0940. After the attack, she joined the screen. ECLIPSE made another attack at 50-10.5N, 4-02E at 1915. The force returned to Plymouth the same day at 1720.

French Channel coast - destroyer CODRINGTON, French torpedo boat L'INCOMPRISE and a French seaplane attacked a submarine contact off Gravelines.

Destroyers VENOMOUS, WREN, 16th Destroyer Flotilla embarked an advance party of the GHQ of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), arrived at Cherbourg and disembarked their troops that evening, returning to Portsmouth on the 5th. On the 7th at 0015, the two destroyers again sailed from Portsmouth and joined a convoy which was escorted to Cherbourg. They arrived back at Portsmouth at 1100.

St George’s Channel - steamer BLAIRBEG (3509grt/总吨位) was abandoned after a submarine attack, although no damage was done. Destroyer WALKER attacked a contact SW of The Smalls at 51-10, 6-32. WALKER, now with VANQUISHER stood by the steamer while the crew re-embarked and continued their passage to Glasgow.

Mediterranean - heavy cruiser SUSSEX and destroyers COSSACK, MAORI, NUBIAN, ZULU departed Alexandria at 1930 to relieve light cruiser ARETHUSA and her destroyers on patrol. The patrol was discontinued on the 7th, and SUSSEX was instructed to send her destroyers to convoy Green 1.

South Atlantic - German steamer CARL FRITZEN (6594grt/总吨位) departed Rotterdam on 10 August for Buenas Aires. She was due to make landfall off Cabo Polonio on the 4th, but was intercepted by light cruiser AJAX in 34?19S, 48?29. As with OLINDA on the 3rd, AJAX was forced to scuttle CARL FRITZEN.