Monday, 11 March

Vice Admiral Battlecruiser Cruiser Squadron raised his flag on battlecruiser RENOWN.

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Light cruiser EDINBURGH arrived at Rosyth.

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Heavy cruisers NORFOLK, BERWICK and YORK, after completing their practices, were to proceed to Rosyth where they arrived on the 13th.

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Light cruiser GALATEA became flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron at 1600.

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Light cruiser ORION, which arrived from the West Indies in the Clyde on 25 February, completed her refitting at Devonport, and departed for Bermuda on the 14th.

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Destroyers HASTY and HOTSPUR departed the Clyde escorting tankers BACCHUS, PRESTOL and BRITISH LADY to Scapa Flow.

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Destroyer VETERAN, en route from Portsmouth to Plymouth in convoy OA.107, was sent to search for steamer CLAN STUART (5760grt/总吨位), which had been damaged in a collision. VETERAN was herself damaged in collision with tanker HORN SHELL (8372grt/总吨位), also of OA.107, ten miles 176° from Start Point,. Her stern was damaged, maximum speed was restricted twelve knots, and she was taken to Devonport for repairs, completed on 17 April.

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Anti-submarine exercises were conducted at Scapa Flow with all available destroyers participating under HARDY (D.2).

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Submarine UNITY arrived at Blyth after patrol.

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Submarine L.23 departed Blyth on patrol.

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Submarine STERLET departed Lowestoft and arrived at Harwich.

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Submarine TRIBUNE conducted her full speed trial, which was unsatisfactory, and docked at Rosyth later in the day.

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Minelayer TEVIOTBANK, destroyers ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, and minesweepers SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER departed Invergordon on the 11th on minelaying mission PA 3 off Kinnaird Head in Moray Firth. The mines were laid on the 12th.

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GGGgggConvoy OG.21 was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.105G, which departed Southend on the 7th, escorted by sloop ABERDEEN, and (2) OB.105G, which departed Liverpool on the 8th escorted by destroyers VIMY and WINCHELSEA, with 38 ships. OB.105G was delayed due to fog and diverted to Milford Haven, arriving on the 9th. WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy from Milford Haven, and destroyers BROKE and WILD SWAN escorted the OB.G section from Isle of Wight on the 9th. Destroyer VIMY from convoy HG.21 joined on the 11th. The convoy was escorted by destroyers WINCHELSEA, VIMY and BROKE until the 11th March. French destroyer PANTHERE and patrol vessel MERCEDITE joined the convoy on the 10th and destroyer WISHART on the 14th. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 17th, escorted by the two French ships and the British destroyer.

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Blockship JUNIATA (1139grt/总吨位) departed the Tyne under the tow of tug KROOMAN, and escorted by the 1st Anti-submarine Group and destroyer JUPITER. The blockship arrived at Methil on the 12th. On the 13th, JUNIATA departed Methil escorted by anti-submarine trawlers IMPERIALIST (520grt/总吨位) and ALOUETTE (520grt/总吨位) for Scapa Flow. She was later deployed at Scapa Flow.

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Convoy ON.19 of eight British, fourteen Norwegian, seven Swedish, two Danish, five Finnish, four Estonian ships for Norway and one ship for Aberdeen departed Methil at 1500 escorted by destroyers COSSACK, NUBIAN, GURKHA and ILEX. The convoy was joined by a section of 13 merchant ships from Kirkwall escorted by destroyers FAULKNOR and FORTUNE which departed Scapa Flow on the 12th. These merchant ships are included in the sailing breakdown from Methil. Destroyers FAULKNOR and FORTUNE relieved ILEX which returned to Scapa Flow. On the 13th, at 1715 east of Duncansby Head in 58-37N, 1-06, NUBIAN attacked a submarine contact. The destroyer then returned to the convoy. Light cruiser EDINBURGH and anti-aircraft cruiser CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th to provide close support for the convoy.

CAIRO after sailing from Scapa Flow was forced to return with sea damage. Antiaircraft cruiser CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe on the 13th to provide anti-aircraft support. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 14th.

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Convoy MT.28 of twenty one ships departed Methil, escorted by the 19th Anti-submarine Group and covered by destroyers JERVIS and JAGUAR, and arrived in the Tyne the next day.

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Convoy FN.118 of 27 ships departed Southend escorted by destroyer VEGA, sloop STORK, destroyer WOOLSTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th.

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Convoy FS.119 departed the Tyne escorted by sloop LOWESTOFT, HASTINGS and destroyer VALOROUS and covered by destroyers JERVIS and JAGUAR. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 13th.

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U.28 was sighted late on the 10th in the area of convoy HG.21 being escorted by destroyers VELOX and VIDETTE. Destroyers BROKE, WILD SWAN and WINCHELSEA had departed OG.21 and were ordered to investigate the report. U.28 badly damaged Dutch steamer EULOTA (6236grt/总吨位) in 48?35N, 08?22; the entire crew, 42 survivors, was rescued by WILD SWAN.

WINCHELSEA continued on towards the contact area while BROKE and WILD SWAN assisted EULOTA.

BROKE sank the wreck with gunfire. The British ships were joined by French destroyer FRONDEUR and sloop CAPRICIEUSE from Brest.

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U.31 was sunk at 1215 by RAF Bomber Command aircraft at Schillig Roads, in 53-58N, 08-05E. The entire crew of forty five and thirteen other naval personnel were lost. German dockyard personnel were able raise the submarine on the 19th, which was repaired and recommissioned on 30 July 1940.

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French battleship BRETAGNE and heavy cruiser ALGERIE, carrying 147 tons of gold to be deposited in the United States, departed Toulon escorted by large destroyers VAUBAN, AIGLE, MAILLE BREZE. The ships passed Gibraltar on the 13th. Since the United States was still a declared neutral, the battleship and heavy cruiser proceeded to Halifax where the gold was unloaded and shipped to the United States. The destroyers were detached at sea and returned to Casablanca on the 17th. VAUBAN and AIGLE departed Casablanca on the 21st and joined armed merchant cruisers EL KANTARA, EL MANSOUR, VILLE D' ORAN and EL DJEZAIR which departed Brest on the 20th after the cancellation of Finland operations. Destroyers TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL departed Brest with the cruisers, but were ordered to return for other duties. VAUBAN and AIGLE passed Gibraltar with the cruisers on the 23rd and arrived at Oran on the 24th. Destroyer MAILLE BREZE with steamer MEDIE II departed Casablanca on the 19th and passed Gibraltar on the 20th. They arrived at Marseilles on the 22nd with troops.

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In night air accident, a Swordfish of 823 Squadron crashed at Hal Far. Lt T G French, Naval Airman J O'Riley, and LAC G A Lawrence of 812 Squadron were killed.

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German auxiliary cruisers ATLANTIS and ORION departed Kiel for gunnery exercises in the North Sea prior to departing on mercantile raiding missions. As the Kiel Canal was still icebound, ex battleship HESSEN, acting as an icebreaker, cleared the Canal for their passage to the sea. After these exercises, both returned to Kiel for final preparations and provisioning.

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Light cruisers CAPETOWN, CALEDON and CALYPSO arrived at Alexandria after a short exercise.

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U.30, U.46, U.47, U.49, U.51 departed Wilhelmshaven to take stations off Norway to combat British STRATFORD operations and later support their own WESERUBUNG operation.