Tuesday, 12 December

On Northern Patrol, three cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, and four cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland. There was no patrol in the Denmark Strait on this date. Light cruisers COLOMBO and DRAGON arrived at Scapa Flow.

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Submarine SALMON sighted German liner BREMEN (51,731grt/总吨位) at 0930 in 57?37N, 05?15E, but British submarines were not permitted to sink merchant ships without warning at this time. Instead, SALMON attempted to stop her 70 miles SSW of Lister Light in 57-00N, 5-45E, but BREMEN ignored her and an arriving German Do.18 aircraft forced SALMON to dive. BREMEN arrived safely at Wesermünde midday on the 13th.

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Submarine UNDINE arrived at Blyth for repairs until the 23rd.

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Destroyers EXMOUTH, ECHO and ECLIPSE departed the Clyde to escort battleship BARHAM. Meanwhile BARHAM and destroyers DUCHESS and DUNCAN, which had departed Gibraltar on the 6th for service with the Home Fleet, were 9 miles west of the Mull of Kintyre when DUCHESS (Lt Cdr R C M White) was run down at 0437 in an accidental collision with BARHAM. Struck abreast the forecastle, DUCHESS capsized and then exploded killing many men in the water. She sank at 0503 with the loss of Lt Cdr White, Lt G Murray, Lt (E) O P Tilden, Lt J M L Scholfield, Commissioned Gunner H P Gordon, Py/Midshipman C L Kretschmer RNR and 124 ratings. Only Py/Lt J R Pritchard RNVR and 22 ratings were rescued by ECHO and ECLIPSE. EXMOUTH and DUNCAN screened BARHAM's entry into the Clyde while ECLIPSE and ECHO stood by at the location of the sinking until daylight.

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Auxiliary patrol trawler EMILION (201grt/总吨位) was damaged in a collision with Spanish steamer MONTE NAVAJO (5754grt/总吨位) near the Goodwin Buoy. She sustained slight damage and the Spanish ship continued without taking any action.

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Destroyers SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, and ILEX arrived in the Clyde.

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ARRIVAL OF CANADIAN TROOP CONVOY TC.1

Destroyers ESKIMO, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, SOMALI, KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM, KINGSTON, KASHMIR, FEARLESS, ILEX, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE departed the Clyde to sweep ahead of Canadian troop convoy TC.1 as it approached the British Isles and bring it into the Clyde. However, IMPERIAL was held up and did not join, and destroyer MATABELE joined the escort force at sea.

Submarine SALMON and RAF Coastal Command aircraft sighted German destroyers HERMANN KüNNE, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK, RICHARD BEITZEN and BRUNO HEINEMANN in the North Sea en route to the Tyne on a minelaying mission. Admiral Forbes, concerned for the safety of convoy TC.1, departed Greenock with battleships WARSPITE, BARHAM, battlecruiser HOOD, and destroyers INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, IMOGEN, IMPERIAL, ISIS and FOXHOUND on the 13th. Destroyers FORESTER and FIREDRAKE departed Loch Ewe and joined the force off the Mull of Kintyre.

Heavy cruisers BERWICK, DEVONSHIRE and light cruiser GLASGOW on Northern Patrol patrolled in 53?55N, 25?00 to cover the convoy. Light cruisers SOUTHAMPTON and EDINBURGH departed Rosyth, called at Scapa Flow, proceeded to Fair Island Channel and then patrolled between the Shetlands and the Faroes. Destroyers AFRIDI, MAORI and NUBIAN departed Rosyth and swept north at 25 knots.

Light cruisers DIOMEDE, CARDIFF, CERES and DELHI on Northern Patrol were to concentrate 10 miles 180° from Myggenoes Light in the Faroes, where they were joined by light cruisers COLOMBO and DRAGON which were proceeding to patrol stations.

Submarines SEAHORSE, STURGEON, UNITY and L.23 departed Blyth around midnight on the 12th/13th, SUNFISH and SNAPPER departed Harwich on patrol, and SHARK, already on patrol, was moved to a position off the mouth of the Jade River.

Convoy TC.1's only incident of the voyage occurred on the 17th off Northern Ireland in 55-30N, 6-54 as the convoy neared its destination. Outward-bound liner SAMARIA (19,597grt/总吨位) entered the eastbound convoy in fog and collided with aircraft carrier FURIOUS, carrying away several antennas and lifeboats and grazing liner AQUITANIA. On arrival in the Clyde, FURIOUS and battlecruiser REPULSE returned to the command of Admiral Forbes, who reached the Clyde on the 17th after escorting TC.1 into port.

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GERMAN DESTROYER MINELAYING OFF THE TYNE

HERMANN KüNNE, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK, RICHARD BEITZEN and BRUNO HEINEMANN laid the minefield off the Tyne near Newcastle during the night of the 12th/13th. On the return, HEINEMANN had a fire in her turbine room and had to stop, STEINBRINCK standing by, but she was able to restart and carry on. Destroyers IHN and STEINBRINCK later suffered equipment defects and were detached to Wilhelmshaven. Eleven Allied merchant ships grossing 18,979 tons were sunk and destroyer KELLY and a large tanker badly damaged in the field:

On the 13th, Belgian steamer ROSA (1146grt/总吨位) 6? miles off the Tyne Breakwater; one crewman was lost.

On the 13th, minesweeping trawler WILLIAM HALLET (202grt, Skipper C Hannant RNR) 3? miles ESE of St Mary's Light.; eight crew went missing with the one survivor, First Fireman C Hobson, picked up by trawler BEN ARTHUR (201grt/总吨位).

On the 14th, tankers INVERLANE (9141grt/总吨位) and ATHELTEMPLAR (8939grt/总吨位) from convoy FN.54 were badly damaged at 1140 in 55?05N, 01?07. INVERLANE lost 37 men from her crew of 40 and went ashore at Roker, near Whitburn Steel. The forepart of the ship was refloated, towed to the Tyne on the 17 December 1940 by fleet tug BANDIT, and later to Scapa Flow where she was sunk as a blockship on 30 May 1944. ATHELTEMPLAR lost two crew and 38 were rescued, but survived to be sunk in September 1942. Destroyers MOHAWK and KELLY had departed the Tyne earlier on the 14th to join sloop FLAMINGO which had been escorting FN.54 on anti-submarine patrol, and were dispatched to assist INVERLANE and ATHELTEMPLAR 13 miles off the mouth of the Tyne.

At 1530/14th, minesweeping trawler JAMES LUDFORD (506grt, Lt Cdr H R J Lewis Rtd and Chief Skipper D Macarthur RNR) was lost in the Tyne. There was only one survivor, and both officers and 15 ratings were lost. Until JAMES LUDFORD was mined, it was believed the damage to the tankers was caused by a submarine.

On arrival, KELLY herself struck a mine in 55-05N, 01-02.5 at 1617/14th which exploded just astern and damaged her propellers, rudder and after spaces. She was taken in tow by MOHAWK, later relieved by a tug which originally had been sent to tow ATHELTEMPLAR. Escort vessel WOOLSTON and sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON screened the withdrawal. Captain Mountbatten, who led the 5th Destroyer Flotilla on KELLY, transferred to sister ship KELVIN which had completed on 27 November and was working up at Portland. KELLY was repaired in the Tyne by mid-February 1940, but on the day of her degaussing trials, was involved in two minor collisions - with a tanker at the dock and while backing off with a drifter in the channel - and did not return to duty until 28 February.

Still on the 14th, auxiliary patrol trawler EVELINA (202grt, Skipper J Cowling RNR) and anti-submarine trawler SEDGEFLY (520grt, Chief Skipper R Stocks RNR) off the Tyne. There were no survivors from either trawler, EVELINA losing one officer and eight ratings and SEDGEFLY one officer and fifteen ratings.

On the 15th, Norwegian steamer RAGNI (1264grt/总吨位) in 55?02N, 01?12; six crew went missing and 13 survivors were rescued. Just 20 minutes after RAGNI, Norwegian steamer H C FLOOD (1907grt/总吨位) was lost in 55?02N, 01?12; four crew were lost and 17 survivors rescued.

On the 15th, Norwegian steamer STRINDHEIM (321grt/总吨位) in the Tyne in 52-02N, 1-17.5; nine crew were lost and two survivors rescued.

On the 16th, steamer AMBLE (1162grt/总吨位) was badly damaged in 54?52N, 00?48, with 17 survivors rescued by escort vessel WALLACE. AMBLE drifted ashore between Whitburn and Sunderland, was refloated and towed to Sunderland on the 25th, but later broken up.

On the 19th, Danish steamer JYTTE (1877grt/总吨位) 18 miles east of Souter, in the Tyne; ten crew were lost and eight survivors picked up by Danish steamer AVANCE (1582grt/总吨位).

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Convoy FN.53 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer WHITLEY and sloops FLAMINGO and STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th.

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Trawler VALERIA (189grt/总吨位) reported sighting a suspicious vessel near 5A Buoy off Lowestoft, course ESE. Polish destroyer BLYSKAWICA was dispatched to assist, but ordered to return to Harwich at daylight if no contact was made.

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The 20th Destroyer Flotilla was re-formed for minelaying duties for the first time since the First World War.

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Lt R H M Heriot-Hill, Petty Officer M Fortrum, Leading Airman M McLoughlin (RAF) and Air Mechanic L Moorhead were killed when their Walrus of 754 Squadron struck a balloon cable near Southampton.

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British minefield SC was laid on the 12th, 18th and 27th December, 16 January and 14 February by auxiliary minelayer HAMPTON westward of Folkestone Gate.

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Convoy OB.52 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers WINDSOR and WALPOLE until the 14th. OA.52 did not sail.

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Convoy FN.53, after being delayed a day by weather, was escorted from the south by destroyer GREYHOUND with close escort by escort vessel WHITLEY, sloops FLAMINGO and STORK. The convoy was especially important as it included six tankers.

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Russian submarine SC.322 damaged German steamer HELGA BOGE (2181grt/总吨位) with gunfire, four miles north of Revalstein.

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U.13 laid mines off Dundee in the Firth of Tay, on which one ship was sunk.

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Steamer MARWICK HEAD (496grt/总吨位) was sunk 1/2 mile S of North Caister Buoy on a mine laid by U.59 on the 5th; five crew were lost.

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Swedish steamer TORO (1467grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine 35 miles S of Copenhagen, off Malmo between Trelleborg and Falsterbo in 55?20N, 13?04E.

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Convoy HX.12 departed Halifax at 1000 escorted by Canadian destroyers SAGUENAY and SKEENA. At 1800/14th, they handed the convoy over to an ocean escort consisting of French submarine PASTEUR which detached on the 20th, and armed merchant cruiser AUSONIA, which left on the 25th. PASTEUR was joined by French large destroyer VALMY and sloop GAZELLE on the 23rd, and later arrived at Brest. Destroyers WANDERER and WALKER escorted the convoy from the 24th to 27th, when it arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

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Convoy SLF.12 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser CILICIA and arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

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ALLIED HUNTER GROUPS

Allied Hunter Groups in the South Atlantic were disposed late on the 12th as follows:

Force G - Heavy cruiser EXETER, light cruiser AJAX and the New Zealand ACHILLES off the Uruguay coast near Rio de la Plata.

Force H - Heavy cruisers SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE sweeping off the west coast of Africa.

Force I - Aircraft carrier EAGLE, heavy cruiser CORNWALL, light cruiser GLOUCESTER arrived at Durban on the 12th, low on fuel, after chasing into the Indian Ocean on a false raider report. EAGLE and GLOUCESTER were expected to need a week to boiler clean at Simonstown.

Force K - Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL and battlecruiser RENOWN in the Pernambuco area.

Force X - Aircraft carrier HERMES, French heavy cruisers DUPLEIX, FOCH, and British destroyers HARDY, HOSTILE and HERO were north of St Paul Rocks. British light cruiser NEPTUNE joined Force X on the 12th.

Additionally, heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND was in the Falklands, boiler cleaning and refitting on short notice. Sister ship DORSETSHIRE was at Simonstown, preparing to relieve heavy cruiser EXETER on the South America Station. Submarine SEVERN was halfway between St Helena and Bahia en route to the Falklands, and sister CLYDE approaching Dakar.