Monday, 4 March

Light cruisers PENELOPE and AURORA arrived at Rosyth after covering convoys ON.15 and HN.15.

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Light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol.

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Armed merchant cruiser PATROCLUS departed Liverpool on Northern Patrol.

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Armed merchant cruiser MALOJA arrived in the Clyde from Liverpool.

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Destroyers INTREPID, GALLANT and IVANHOE arrived at Aberdeen to patrol. INTREPID left to investigate a submarine reported at 0530 six miles NE of Aberdeen, and destroyers JUPITER and JUNO of convoy ON.17A were detached to assist. Trawler BEN CHOURN (197grt/总吨位) reported an explosion in this area. It was first thought that convoy ON.17 was under attack. It was later ascertained that the submarine was the British NARWHAL, proceeding to Scapa Flow, and that the explosion was a depth charge fired by destroyer NUBIAN.

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Submarine TRIAD carried out special trials off Inchkeith.

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Destroyer VESPER departed Greenock escorting submarine TETRARCH to Portsmouth, where they arrived on the 6th. TETRARCH carried out equipment repairs, and then sailed on 13 April for a war patrol.

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Anti-submarine trawler NEIL MACKAY went ashore at Scapa Flow during a storm, but was later refloated.

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At 2030, tanker CHARLES T. MEYER (10,516grt/总吨位) of convoy HX.20 A, escorted by sloop FOWEY, struck a floating mine 15 miles south of Dungeness, in 50-21N, 0-18E. FOWEY continued on with the convoy. To assist the damaged tanker, destroyers BRILLIANT was ordered from Dover, BOADICEA from her patrol, and KEITH from Dover when ready. Tug LADY BRASSEY and French torpedo boats and trawlers proceeded to the area. BOADICEA located the damaged tanker at 0400. At 0500, BRILLIANT joined and soon after KEITH arrived. At 0600, BOADICEA took the tanker in tow escorted by BRILLIANT and KEITH. Tugs LADY BRASSEY from Dover and FOREMOST from Newhaven arrived at 0959 and took over the tow. BRILLIANT returned to her patrol at 0700, but KEITH remained as an anti-submarine screen. Tug CALSHOT departed Southampton at 1100 and Admiralty Salvage Vessel RECOVERY OF LEITH departed Dover. KEITH was released when the tow reached Sandown Bay, I.O.. All units involved arrived safely at Castle Point, Cowes, at 0105/6th.

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Convoy ON.17 A of six British, sixteen Norwegian, eight Swedish, eight Finnish, three Estonian and one Panamanian ship departed Methil escorted by destroyers JERVIS, JUNO, JUPITER, JANUS and JAGUAR. One steamer was detached before the convoy crossed the North Sea. The convoy was joined by 17 ships from Kirkwall. These are included in the sailing breakdown from Methil. Anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe on the 5th for anti-aircraft protection. Destroyer JERVIS made an attack at 0905/7th on a submarine contact northeast of the Shetlands in 61?15N, 1?20E. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 8th, while CALCUTTA arrived back at Sullom Voe on the 9th.

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Convoy FN.111 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VEGA, GRENADE and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 6th.

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Convoy FS.112 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop FLAMINGO and destroyer WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 6th. Convoy FS.113 was cancelled.

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Convoy MT.23 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day.

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Sloop LEITH, escorting convoy HG.20, attacked a submarine contact west of Scilly Isle in 49?57N, 08?15. Destroyer VENETIA, also of HG.20, joined her in the hunt.

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U.29 sank steamers THURSTON (3072grt/总吨位) 32 miles west of Trevose Head in 50-23N, 5-49 and PACIFIC RELIANCE (6717grt/总吨位) in 50?23N, 05?49. THURSTON had been involved in a collision with French collier S N A 1 (2679grt/总吨位) which sank, and had just rescued the French survivors when she herself was sunk. Thirty four crew were lost on THURSTON, while one survivor each from SNA 1 and THURSTON was picked up by steamer MOYLE (1761grt/总吨位). All 53 crew of PACIFIC RELIANCE were rescued by steamer MACVILLE (666grt/总吨位) and tanker SAN FLORENTINO (12,842grt/总吨位). U.29 also attacked SAN FLORENTINO but torpedo failures allowed her to escape.

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Steamer AUCKLAND STAR (13,212grt/总吨位) reported she had sighted a submarine (U.28) in 49?26N, 07?27. Sloop LEITH nearby, escorting convoy HG.20 was detached to investigate. On the morning of the 5th, destroyers WILD SWAN and VENETIA were ordered into the area to assist. Later on the 5th, another report of a submarine, led to destroyers WHIRLWIND, VOLUNTEER and VETERAN being ordered into the area.

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The German Navy began holding submarines in port for WESERUBUNG, the invasion of Norway, and cancelled all other naval operations.

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Convoy HG.21 of 34 ships departed Gibraltar escorted by destroyers VELOX, VIDETTE and ACTIVE, the latter detaching on the 6th. VELOX, which had joined from convoy HG.20F, and VIDETTE were detached on the 11th to Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively. Destroyer VIMY escorted the convoy from the 4th to 10th, when she detached to convoy HG.21 (?). Destroyer WINCHELSEA joined from the 11th to 13th in Home Waters for the Liverpool section. Merchant ships not going to Liverpool were escorted by destroyer WINDSOR which was with the convoy from the 11th to 13th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 13th .

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Heavy cruiser CORNWALL departed Freetown on patrol.

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Heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND departed Freetown.

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Light cruiser DUNEDIN departed Kingston on patrol.