Friday, 8 September

Northern Patrol - because Adm Horton, Vice Admiral Northern Patrol could not coordinate the activities of his cruisers from a flagship at sea, he left light cruiser EFFINGHAM and transferred his flag ashore at Kirkwall to new headquarters named HMS PYRAMUS. Rear Adm F Wake-Walker OBE hoisted his flag in EFFINGHAM, as Rear Admiral 12th Cruiser Squadron.

Home Fleet - battlecruisers HOOD, RENOWN, light cruisers BELFAST, EDINBURGH, and destroyers FAME, FEARLESS, FORESTER departed Scapa Flow for patrol between Iceland and the Faroes to reinforce the blockade. Destroyer FURY which had departed Scapa Flow on the 7th with the NELSON force joined the HOOD at sea on the 8th. This force returned to on the 12th, and as with the NELSON ships, found that poor visibility led to a hlack of sightings. The light cruisers were detached for patrol duties, refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 15th and did not arrive back at Scapa Flow until the 20th.

Humber Force - light cruisers GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and destroyers JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS, JUPITER left Rosyth to search for German shipping departing Rotterdam for Hamburg in operation GH, which was conducted during the night of the 8th/9th. No contact was made and the Humber Force arrived in the Humber on the 9th.

British east coast – convoy FS.2 departed Methil for Southend and arrived on the 10th.

Destroyer MATABELE was docked at Chatham from the 8th to 10th to replace two propellers damaged by grounding at Scapa Flow on the 5th. She left on the 11th to return to Scapa.

Danish waters - Finnish sailing vessel OLIVE BANK (2795grt/总吨位) sank on a mine in the North Sea in 55?53N, 05?07E, 105 miles SW of Bouvbjerg, Denmark. Fourteen crewmen were lost, with the survivors picked up by a Danish fishing boat and taken to Esbjerg.

German waters - U.3, U.14, U.17, U.36 arrived at Wilhelmshaven and U.5, U.7, U.15, U.16, U.18, U.56 at Kiel. U.16 then proceeded to Kiel.

Baltic - German steamers HELFRID BISSMARK (727grt/总吨位) sank in the Sound between Sjaelland and Sweden and HELGA SCHRODER (656grt/总吨位) in the Baltic, both the victim of mines.

Dutch waters - Dutch minesweeper WILLEM VAN EWIJK was lost off Terschelling and minelayer WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN damaged off Den Helder when they struck Dutch mines.

Dover Straits - destroyers BLANCHE and BRILLIANT attacked a submarine contact five miles NNE of North Goodwin.

English Channel - a flying boat made two attacks on submarine contacts, one in Mounts Bay and one south of the Lizard. Two destroyers departed Plymouth to investigate.

Destroyer SHIKARI departed Portsmouth and arrived at Devonport the same day to begin rearming.

U.26 laid a minefield off Portland on which three steamers were sunk.

Southwestern Approaches - destroyers JACKAL, JANUS, JUNO, 14th Division, 7th Flotilla arrived at Devonport for escort duties in the Western Approaches. Destroyer ECHO, also 14th Division arrived next day from Chatham. Escorting continued until 8 October when JACKAL and JANUS arrived back at Grimsby. JUNO, delayed by defects, docked at Devonport from 30 September to 14 October and did not arrive back in the command until 17 October when she reached Rosyth. ECHO, having been relieved by new destroyer JAGUAR in the 7th Flotilla, was transferred to the 12th Flotilla and remained in the Western Approaches.

U.34 severely damaged British tanker KENNEBEC (5548grt/总吨位) 70 miles by S of the Bishops in 49?18N, 08?13. She was scuttled by destroyer WOLVERINE when found to be beyond salvage and her crew rescued by Dutch steamer BREEDYK (6861grt/总吨位).

steamer CADILLAC (1262grt/总吨位) was attacked by U.52, 180 miles SW of Cape Clear but not damaged.

U.29 torpedoed British tanker REGENT TIGER (10,177grt/总吨位) 250 miles WSW of Cape Clear in 49?57N, 15?34 but she did not sink until the 10th in 49-48N, 14-33. The survivors were rescued by Belgian steamer JEAN JADOT (5859grt/总吨位).

British trawler STAUNTON (283grt/总吨位) 75 miles west of Ushant took to their boats when approached by a U-boat, but it did not attack. American steamer AMERICAN FARMER (7430grt/总吨位) assisted the crew.

U.48 sank steamer WINKLEIGH (5055grt/总吨位) 500 miles west of Ushant in 48?06N, 18?12. Her survivors were rescued by Dutch liner STATENDAM (28,291grt/总吨位).

Gibraltar - light cruiser GALATEA arrived at Gibraltar.

Mediterranean - the Mediterranean Fleet instituted contraband control patrols in the Aegean, the approaches to the Adriatic, and south of the Messina Strait.

Central Atlantic - French large destroyers LE CHEVALIER PAUL, TARTU, VAUQUELIN of the 5th Large Destroyer Division departed Casablanca for Dakar for escort duties. On the 13th, convoy Number 39 with steamers AURIGNY, KERQUELEN, KILISSI left Dakar, escorted by the destroyers and arrived at Casablanca on the 18th. VAUQUELIN, TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL departed Casablanca on the 20th, 24th and 25th respectively, escorting different convoys to Marseilles.

South Africa - German steamer HAGEN (5988grt/总吨位) was seized at Durban by South African authorities, and renamed EMPIRE SUCCESS in British service.

Indian Ocean - heavy cruiser CORNWALL arrived at Penang.

Australian waters - Australian destroyers VAMPIRE and VOYAGER sailed from Port Philip to reinforce light cruiser SYDNEY at Fremantle on the west coast of Australia.