Monday, 11 September

Northern Patrol - light cruiser ENTERPRISE, which departed Portsmouth on the 9th, arrived at Scapa Flow for Northern Patrol duty with the 12th Cruiser Squadron.

Light cruisers CALYPSO and CALEDON arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol duty.

Northwestern approaches - U.47 sank steamer FIRBY (4869grt/总吨位) 300 miles WNW of Cape Wrath in 59?40N, 13?50. The survivors were rescued by destroyer FEARLESS, detached from HOOD’s screen.

Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL and destroyers FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FURY left Scapa Flow at 2030 for an anti-submarine patrol NW of Ireland. Destroyer FORTUNE was replaced by destroyer ESKIMO at 2100 on the 11th and aircraft carrier HERMES was assigned to relieve ARK ROYAL as soon as possible.

U.30 sank steamer BLAIRLOGIE (4425grt/总吨位) west of Ireland in 54?59N, 15?08, but remained with the crew until American steamer AMERICAN SHIPPER (7430grt/总吨位) was sighted. She rescued them.

British east coast - Convoy FN.3 departed Harwich on the 11th escorted by destroyer BROKE and sloops BITTERN and ENCHANTRESS. Sweeping ahead of the convoy, BROKE attacked a submarine contact seven miles ENE of Orfordness and BITTERN, also escorting submarine OBERON in FN.3 made another attack on a contact off Cromer Knoll Light Vessel. Destroyers MATABELE and SOMALI joined in the latter attack. Then 14 miles east of Orfordness, BROKE made yet another, all this still on the 11th. BROKE's asdic set went out of action and required repair, and the convoy arrived at Methil on the 12th.

North Sea - U.4 at 54-30N, 7-40E sighted a British submarine, but lost contact when she submerged to approach. There is no report to indicate which submarine this was.

U.13 departed Wilhelmshaven for patrol off Orfordness.

Kattegat - U.59 sighted a British submarine at 0655 near Samso before arriving at Kiel at 1735.

Baltic - Polish submarine WILK in the Baltic was ordered to England. She was sighted by German destroyer RICHARD BEITZEN on the 14th, but identified as Swedish and left alone. WILK carried on and arrived on the 20th.

Dover Straits - destroyer BLANCHE made a submarine attack five miles NNE of North Goodwins in 51-24N, 1-39E.

Dover Straits minefields - British minelaying began with a mine barrage GR laid across the Straits of Dover with a channel left open for Allied ship use off the Goodwins. Navigational markers were laid between the Goodwins and Dyck by survey ships FRANKLIN and SCOTT from 7 to 10 September.

The field was laid from the 11th to 16th between Galloper and North Hinder by cruiser-minelayer ADVENTURE, coastal minelayer PLOVER and converted train ferries HAMPTON and SHEPPERTON. Minesweepers HARRIER, HUSSAR, SKIPJACK accompanied the force and anti-aircraft cruiser CAIRO and 19th Destroyer Flotilla (less BULLDOG in the Mediterranean) provided escort.

Cover was given by light cruisers SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW and destroyers JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS, JUPITER of the Humber Force, which departed the Humber at 1830/10th for Sheerness, where they arrived on the 11th. They remained at Sheerness until 14 September when they returned to the Humber, arriving the same day.

English Channel - light cruisers CERES and CARADOC departed Portland to cover a BEF troop convoy, and arrived at Plymouth on the 14th.

UK-France convoys - BC.1F of steamers FENELLA and TYNWALD departed Barry Roads escorted by destroyers KEITH and VIVACIOUS, and arrived safely in the Loire on the 12th.

BC.1S of steamers BARON MINTO, BELLEROPHON, TRELAWNY departed Bristol Channel at the same time and arrived in the Loire on the 13th.

UK-out convoy - OA.3 of three ships and OA.3A with 12 ships, departed Southend. Destroyers AMAZON and JUNO sailed from Plymouth and joined the convoys as escorts the same day, the 11th. The convoys dispersed in 47-31N, 12-30 and JUNO returned to Plymouth on the 15th.

UK-out OB.3 - had departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers MACKAY and WINCHELSEA until this date, the 11th when they joined convoy OB.2 (see following). On the 12th, escort for OB.3 was provided by destroyer VANESSA and sloop PC.74.

Destroyers VANQUISHER and WALKER, escorting convoy OB.2, collided at 2240, 200 miles SW of Cape Clear with both ships badly damaged. Initial reports indicated VANQUISHER, with 14 ratings killed, was probably sinking and WALKER was unseaworthy.

Aircraft carrier COURAGEOUS and her destroyers provided cover for the damaged destroyers, with KEMPENFELT detached to assist at 0540/12th, rejoined COURAGEOUS at 1000, detached again at 1430 and returned to COURAGEOUS at 1730.

Destroyers MACKAY and WINCHELSEA of OB.3 (see above) then joined the convoy, and MACKAY attacked a submarine contact at 53-00N, 5-07, NW of Bardsey Island.

To assist the damaged destroyers, tugs NEPTUNIA and SALVONIA departed Falmouth at 0100/12th.

With WALKER in company, destroyer ARDENT took VANQUISHER in tow stern first on the 13th, arriving still under tow at Plymouth on the 14th, where she was under repair until 3 January.

WALKER arrived at Plymouth on the 14th, escorted by destroyers IMPULSIVE and IVANHOE, and she repaired until 11 November.

MACKAY and WINCHELSEA arrived back at Liverpool on the 16th.

French waters - French aircraft carrier BéARN departed Brest escorted by destroyers FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, L'ADROIT, and arrived back on the 27th.

Southwestern Approaches - U.38 sank British tanker INVERLIFFEY (9456grt/总吨位) 270 miles WSW of Land's End in 48?14N, 11?48, whose crew was rescued by American steamer R G STEWART (9229grt/总吨位).

Gibraltar - Destroyer WRESTLER was slightly damaged in collision with Spanish steamer NURIA R (2733grt/总吨位) at Gibraltar, departed on 16 December and arrived at Malta on the 19th for refitting and repair to the collision damage. She was under repair from 29 December to 6 March, leaving Malta on 9 March for Gibraltar.

Mediterranean Fleet - battleships WARSPITE, BARHAM, MALAYA, heavy cruisers DEVONSHIRE, SUSSEX, light cruisers ARETHUSA, PENELOPE, and destroyers AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK, SIKH of the 4th Flotilla departed Alexandria for gunnery exercises. That evening, BARHAM and PENELOPE returned to Alexandria and aircraft carrier GLORIOUS joined the fleet from Alexandria, when they proceeded to the west end of Crete to cover the passage of convoys GC.1 and Green 1.

Already at sea were destroyers HASTY HARDY, HERO, HEREWARD, HOSTILE of the 2nd Flotilla from Port Said on the 9th to escort Blue 1. Heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE arrived at Malta on the 11th, departed Malta that day for Gibraltar, and arrived on the 13th with personnel for RAF No 202 Squadron. She left the same day and reached Marseilles on the 15th. Meanwhile heavy cruiser SUSSEX arrived at Malta on the 13th for docking.

For troop convoy GC.1 escort duty, light cruiser GALATEA had departed Alexandria on the 5th and arrived at Gibraltar on the 8th. Destroyers GLOWWORM and GREYHOUND of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla arrived at Malta on the 7th and departed on the 13th escorting GC.1 and French convoy L.2 to Alexandria.

Destroyers GALLANT, GRAFTON, GRENVILLE arrived at Malta on the 10th for the same duty. GRAFTON and GALLANT went on to Gibraltar. Destroyers GARLAND, GIPSY, GRIFFIN, GRENADE departed Alexandria on the 10th, arriving at Malta on the 12th, and departing the next day as escorts to Green 1.

The heavy units of the Fleet patrolled to the west of Crete until 16 September to cover the convoys.

Central Atlantic - German pocket battleship ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE and accompanying supply ship ALTMARK had a near encounter with heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND, which was sighted by GRAF SPEE’s aircraft only 30 miles away on an intercepting course. However, CUMBERLAND was en route from Freetown to Rio de Janiero and did not even sight the aircraft.