Tuesday, 5 September

British northern waters - while entering Scapa Flow to refuel, destroyer MATABELE found Switha Gate closed and instead headed through the emergency gate, running aground at 2025 and damaging her propellers. She was refloated by the boom vessels at 2130, and departed on the 6th for repairs at Chatham.

Destroyer SOMALI operating with battlecruiser HOOD attacked a submarine contact in Fair Isle Channel in 59-40N, 2-50. Destroyer FURY, also in company, dropped depth charges.

Scottish west coast - patrol sloop KINGFISHER attacked a submarine contact off Ailsa Craig in the Clyde estuary.

British east coast - sloop PELICAN was involved in a minor collision with steamer STARLING (1320grt/总吨位) in the Thames, but was able to continue her duties.

Norwegian waters - Three torpedoes were fired at light cruisers SOUTHAMPTON and GLASGOW 20 miles north of Utvaer, which were in company with destroyers JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS. SOUTHAMPTON carried out her own depth charge attack.

German steamer FREIBURG (5165grt/总吨位) had departed El Ferrol on 29 August disguised as Russian steamer EBRO and now reached Bergen, before continuing and arriving safely at Kiel on the 18th.

German waters - U.24 arrived at Wilhelmshaven.

Baltic - Polish submarine WILK on patrol in the Baltic was damaged by depth charges from a minesweeper of the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla, but was able to continue patrol.

Dover Straits - destroyer BLANCHE made an attack on U.17 laying mines off the North Goodwins. After investigating the area, a floating mine was sighted 8? miles north of the Goodwins and the minefield reported back.

English Channel – destroyer SHIKARI departed Devonport and arrived at Portsmouth the same day.

Destroyer STURDY departed Devonport escorting outward-bound American steamer CAPPER, and arrived back on the 6th.

Destroyers KEITH, VENETIA, WESSEX, investigating a submarine contact off Eddystone, carried out an attack.

French Channel coast - French large destroyers JAGUAR, LéOPARD, and PANTHèRE of the 2nd Large Destroyer Division departed Brest, called at Cherbourg and arrived at Dunkirk on the 7th to cover minelaying operations off the Pas de Calais. PANTHèRE arrived three hours after the first two after suffering a propeller problem en route.

Off Bay of Biscay - U.47 sank steamer BOSNIA (2407grt/总吨位) to the north of Cape Finisterre in 45?29N, 09?45. One crewman was lost and the survivors picked up by Norwegian tanker EIDANGER (9432grt/总吨位) and taken to Lisbon. They returned to England in steamer HIGHLAND BRIGADE (14,134grt/总吨位).

U.48 sank steamer ROYAL SCEPTRE (4853grt/总吨位) NW of Cape Finisterre in 46?23N, 14?59. One crewman was lost. Danish steamer ERRIA (8786grt/总吨位) and Norwegian tanker PETROFINA (10095grt/总吨位) searched for survivors, but they were picked up by steamer BROWNING (5332grt/总吨位), deliberately spared by U.48 to save them. BROWNING's crew had taken to their boats when the submarine was sighted, but reboarded when she left the scene. The crew of ROYAL SCEPTRE was landed at Bahia on the 24th.

Gibraltar area - U.40 unsuccessfully attacked an Allied convoy west of Gibraltar.

Destroyer WRESTLER sent Yugoslav steamer JURKO TOPIC (5160grt/总吨位), carrying a cargo of bauxite for Germany, into Gibraltar for contraband control - the first ship sent into Gibraltar during the war.

Atlantic and Mediterranean, Convoy GC.1 - of eleven passenger liners departed the Clyde escorted by destroyers VIVACIOUS, VANESSA, VANQUISHER, WAKEFUL. As they headed south, they were joined by destroyers VERITY, VOLUNTEER, WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE of the 30th Division sailing from Milford Haven.

Battleship RAMILLIES and destroyers EXMOUTH and ESCAPADE departed Portland on the 5th to join them as the ocean escort group. Next day, destroyers ECLIPSE and ENCOUNTER left Plymouth to join them at sea, and all met up with the local escort NW of the Scillies on the 6th/1845. The Clyde destroyers then detached and returned.

The ocean escort destroyers made a number of attacks on suspected U boat contacts. ECLIPSE in 48?05N, 11?26 at 1140/7th, ECLIPSE again in 45?27N, 16?26 at 0900/8th, ENCOUNTER in 44?44N, 16?38 at 1223/8th, and finally ECLIPSE and EXMOUTH in 39?36N, 16?48, 240 miles west of Cape St Vincent at 1118/9th.

On the 8th, the Milford Haven destroyers detached and returned to Plymouth.

At 1100/10th, French destroyers FORTUNE, RAILLEUSE, SIMOUN, which departed Gibraltar on the 9th, joined the convoy 350 miles west of Gibraltar.

At 1236/11th, north of Europa Point, the convoy was joined by French destroyers TORNADE, TRAMONTANE, TYPHON, which departed Gibraltar on the 11th. TRAMONTANE was sent six hours ahead of the convoy with dispatches for Gibraltar to avoid breaking radio silence.

The convoy, less liner SCYTHIA (19,761grt/总吨位) which had detached off Gibraltar at 1300/11th, arrived safely at Gibraltar later on the 11th. RAMILLIES and destroyers FORTUNE, RAILLEUSE, SIMOUN also arrived.

The convoy was then escorted into the Mediterranean from Gibraltar on the 11th by light cruiser GALATEA and French destroyers FORTUNE, RAILLEUSE, SIMOUN, TORNADE, TRAMONTANE, TYPHON, all of the French 1st Flotilla.

ECLIPSE, ENCOUNTER, ESCAPADE, EXMOUTH arrived at Gibraltar from Oran on the 14th.

The French destroyers were relieved near Malta on the 14th by destroyers GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM of the 1st Flotilla. French convoy L.2, which departed Marseilles on the 12th, joined the convoy for passage to Beirut.

Liner DURHAM CASTLE (8240grt/总吨位) detached from the convoy off Malta at 1000/14th and CLAN FERGUSON (7250grt/总吨位) at 1600/15th in 34?41N, 22?42E for Istanbul, escorted by destroyer GALLANT.

On the 16th, the convoy was escorted by French destroyers CASSARD, KERSAINT, MAILLé BRéZé, TORNADE, TRAMONTANE, TYPHON.

Liners BRITANNIC (26,943grt/总吨位), DUCHESS OF BEDFORD (20,123grt/总吨位), MONTCALM (16,418grt/总吨位), REINA DEL PACIFICO (17,702grt/总吨位), STRATHAIRD (22,284grt/总吨位) detached at 0700/16th in 33?29N, 26?59E.

Liners ORCADES (23,456grt/总吨位), ORFORD (20,043grt/总吨位), ORION (23,371grt, Convoy Cdre Rear Adm C A M Sarel, OBE Rtd) arrived at Alexandria at 2100/16th.

RAMILLIES rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet with which she worked up from February to June after refitting.

Central and South Atlantic - German steamer INN (2867grt/总吨位) departed Belem on 25 August for Hamburg and at 2000/5th, was captured by light cruiser NEPTUNE 400 miles SW of Teneriffe, Canary Islands. After the crew was taken off, INN was scuttled and NEPTUNE arrived at Dakar on the 8th.

Destroyers HUNTER, HYPERION and sloop BRIDGEWATER attacked a submarine contact 24 miles west of Cape Sierra Leone Light House.

Destroyers HAVOCK and HOTSPUR departed Freetown for South America Station.

Indian Ocean - on the 18th, liners BRITANNIC, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, REINA DEL PACIFICO, STRAITHAIRD departed Suez as convoy Red 1, escorted by sloop EGRET from the18th to 20th. On the 20th, EGRET was relieved by light cruiser LIVERPOOL in 20N, 39E, which remained with the convoy until the 27th. Aircraft carrier EAGLE joined on the 24th. BRITANNIC and DUCHESS OF BEDFORD proceeded to Bombay, REINA DEL PACIFICO to Colombo, Calcutta and Singapore and STRAITHAIRD to the Cape.