Thursday, 14 March

Battlecruiser HOOD departed Scapa Flow at 1515 escorted by destroyers HARDY (D.2), HOTSPUR and IMOGEN for the Clyde.

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Armed merchant cruiser CALIFORNIA departed Greenock on Northern Patrol.

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Armed merchant cruisers CILICIA and TRANSYLVANIA arrived at Greenock from Northern Patrol.

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Destroyer KELLY departed Scapa Flow at 0400 for Sheerness to repair her collision damage of 9 March at Blackwall.

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Destroyers KASHMIR and FORESIGHT departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow.

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Destroyer INTREPID arrived at Invergordon from patrol.

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Destroyer IVANHOE departed Scapa Flow at 0715 for Moray Firth Patrol.

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Minelayer TEVIOTBANK and destroyers ICARUS and IMPULSIVE arrived at the Humber to load mines.

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Submarines STERLET and SNAPPER departed Harwich on patrol.

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Submarine SEAWOLF arrived at Harwich from patrol.

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Polish submarine WILK was undocked at Dundee.

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Convoy OG.22F was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.108G, which departed Southend on the 11th escorted by destroyer WITCH, and (2) OB.108G, which departed Liverpool on the 11th, escorted by sloops BIDEFORD and FOWEY, of thirty ships. BIDEFORD joined the convoy on the 12th and FOWEY on the 13th. Destroyer WRESTLER joined on the 19th. Both sloops and the destroyer travelled with the convoy to Gibraltar where it arrived on the 19th. The sloops were temporarily assigned to the 13th Destroyer Flotilla to replace sloops SCARBOROUGH and WELLINGTON.

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Convoy MT.30 of twenty three ships departed Methil escorted by the 3rd Anti-submarine Group, sloop PELICAN, destroyers VIVIEN and JAVELIN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later in the day.

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Convoy FS.121 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop PELICAN and destroyer VIVIEN, and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

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Destroyer JANUS and the 1st Anti-submarine Group escorted convoy TM.26 from the Tyne.

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After a steamer sighted a periscope one mile southwest of Elie Ness, escort vessel WHITLEY and sloop EGRET were dispatched to investigate. They were joined by destroyer BRAZEN, escort vessels VEGA, WOOLSTON, sloop STORK, and the 19th Anti-submarine Group. WHITLEY and STORK made attacks but further investigation showed this contact to be non submarine.

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Convoy HN.19 of three British, sixteen Norwegian, seven Swedish, four Finnish and five Estonian ships departed Bergen escorted by destroyers COSSACK, NUBIAN, GURKHA, FAULKNOR and FORTUNE. The convoy was covered by light cruiser EDINBURGH. At 0824/16th, EDINBURGH made a submarine contact in 59-07N, 00-57, southeast of Fair Isle, and she and COSSACK attacked the contact. At 1330/16th, COSSACK attacked a contact east of Duncansby Head in 58-36N, 1-35.This contact had been earlier attacked by aircraft. At 2330, EDINBURGH made an attack off Tod Head in 56-54N, 2-13. When the convoy split into two sections, FAULKNOR and FORTUNE escorted the west coast section of 15 ships to Cape Wrath where the convoy was dispersed. The destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow on the 17th at 0700. Destroyers FAULKNOR and FORESTER anchored in Longhope pending the clearance of Gutter Sound. The convoy of 20 ships arrived at Methil without incident on the 17th. COSSACK, NUBIAN and GURKHA arrived at Rosyth at 1700/17th.

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Convoy BC.30 of seven steamers, including BATALLINN, BARON GRAHAM (Commodore), EILDON, MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escorted by destroyer VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Loire on the 16th.

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U-BOAT OPERATIONS AGAINST ALLIED SUBMARINES

An unsuccessful operation was mounted by German submarines to hunt down British and French submarines in the North Sea. Submarines deployed were U.7, U.9, U.19, U.20, U.23, U.24, U.56, U.57, U.59.

U.1, U.2, U.3, U.4 were positioned off southern Norway. On the 16th, U.1 departed Kiel for operations south of Lindesnes. On the 16th, U.2 departed Kiel for operations off Lister. On the 18th, U.3 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate in the North Sea against British submarines. On the 18th, U.4 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate in the Skagerrak.

On the 20th, U.22 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate off Pentland Firth. On the 20th, U.21 and U.22 were ordered to patrol south of Lindesnes. On the 21st, U.21 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate off Pentland Firth.

On the 22nd, U.1 was moved to a position outside the three mile limit off Egeroy. On the 22nd, U.2 sighted what was identified as either a heavy cruiser or an aircraft carrier with five destroyers in 57-46N, 07-18E. The submarine was unable to gain a firing position. On the 23rd, U.3 and 4 were ordered to area of Lindesnes and Revingen, respectively, to attack warships and transports. On the 27th, U.4 was moved to area of Lindesnes. U.1, U.2, U.3, U.4 returned to Wilhelmshaven on the 29th.

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Minesweepers PANGBOURNE, ALBURY, and ROSS arrived at Gibraltar from Malta.

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Aircraft carrier EAGLE in the Bay of Bengal near the Nicobar Islands was damaged at 0730 when a 250 pound bomb exploded in the bomb room in an operational mishap. One officer, Gunner R.R. Keech, MVO and twelve ratings were killed. Five crew were wounded, one dying of wounds at Singapore. EAGLE proceeded to Singapore for repairs and completed these and a refit on 4 May. She left Singapore on 9 May for the Mediterranean.

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Convoy SL.24 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser CHESHIRE until 29 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 31st.

1940

This is the status of the destroyer flotillas in Home Waters on 1 April 1940. Some 44 destroyers were in dockyard hands less than a week before the start of the Norwegian campaign.

Home Fleet

2nd Destroyer Flotilla (Captain B. A. . Warburton-Lee) - HARDY (Warburton-Lee)

Division 3, HOTSPUR (Cdr H F H Layman), HAVOCK (Lt Cdr R.E Courage), HERO (Cdr H Biggs DSO), and HEREWARD (Lt Cdr C Greening, repairing at Portsmouth)

Division 4, HYPERION (Cdr H St L Nicolson DSO), HUNTER (Lt Cdr L de Villiers), HOSTILE (Lt Cdr J P Wright), and HASTY (Lt Cdr L R.K Tyrwhitt, damaged at Scapa Flow, taken to Dundee for repairs)

3rd Destroyer Flotilla (Captain P Todd) - INGLEFIELD (Todd)

Division 5, ISIS (Cdr J C Clouston), ILEX (Lt Cdr P L Saumarez DSC), and IMPERIAL (Lt Cdr CA de Kitcat, repairing in the Tyne)

Division 6, DELIGHT (Cdr M Fogg-Elliot DSO), DIANA (Lt Cdr E G LeGeyt), and IMOGEN (Cdr C L Firth MVO)

4th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain P L Vian)

Division 7, AFRIDI (Vian), GURKHA (CdrA Buzzard), SIKH (Cdr JA Giffard), and MOHAWK (Cdr J M Eaton)

Division 8, ZULU (Cdr J S.Crawford), COSSACK (Cdr R.St V Sherbrooke), MAORI (Cdr G N Brewer, repairing in the Clyde), and NUBIAN (Cdr R. Ravenhill, repairing in the Tyne)

5th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten)

Division 9, KELLY (Mountbatten, repairing at Blackwell), KIPLING (Cdr A St Clair Ford, repairing in the Tyne), and KASHMIR (Cdr HA King), KELVIN (Lt Cdr J L Machin)

Division 10, KANDAHAR (Cdr GA Robson, repairing at Hull), KIMBERLEY (Lt Cdr R.G K Knowling), KHARTOUM (Cdr D T Dowler, repairing at Falmouth), and KINGSTON (Lt Cdr P Somerville DSO, repairing at Falmouth)

6th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain R.S G Nicholson)

Division 11, SOMALI (Nicholson), ASHANTI (Cdr G Davis), MATABELE (Cdr G K Whitmy-Smith), and MASHONA (Cdr H Selby)

Division 12, BEDOUIN (Cdr JA McCoy), PUNJABI (Cdr J T Lean), ESKIMO (Cdr St JA Micklethwait), and TARTAR (Cdr L P Skipwith)

7th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain P J Mack)

Division 13, JERVIS (Mack, repairing in the Tyne), JANUS (Cdr J A Tothill), JAVELIN (Cdr A F Pugsley), and JERSEY (long repairs at Hull)

Division 14, JACKAL (Cdr T M Napier, repairing at Blyth), JAGUAR (Lt Cdr J F Hine, repairing at Dundee), JUNO (Cdr E Wilson), and JUPITER (Cdr D B Wyburd)

8th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain A F de Salis) - FAULKNOR (de Salis)

Division 15, FOXHOUND (Cdr G H Peters), FEARLESS (Cdr K L Harkness), FURY (Cdr G F Burghard, repairing at Newport), and FORESTER (Lt Cdr E B Tancock DSC)

Division 16, FAME (Cdr P N Walter, repairing at Grimsby), FORESIGHT (Lt Cdr G T Lambert, repairing at Grimsby), FORTUNE (Cdr EA Gibbs), and FIREDRAKE (Lt Cdr S.N Norris, repairing at Cardiff)

20th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain J G Bickford DSC)

Division 39, EXPRESS (Bickford, repairing at Hartlepool), IVANHOE Cdr P H Hadow), and ESK (Lt Cdr R.J H Couch)

Division 40, INTREPID (Cdr R.C Gordon, repairing at Middlesbrough), ICARUS (Lt Cdr C D Maud), and IMPULSIVE (Lt Cdr S.Thomas)

Rosyth Command

12th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain R.Kerr, Captain D Rosyth)

Division 23, ECHO (Cdr S H K Spurgeon DSO RAN, repairing at Leith), ELECTRA (Lt Cdr SA Buss, repairing at Rosyth), and ESCORT (Lt Cdr J Bostock, repairing at Rosyth)

Division 24, ESCAPADE (Cdr H R.Graham), ENCOUNTER (Lt Cdr E V St J Morgan), and ECLIPSE (Lt Cdr I T Clark)

Miscellaneous attached

Destroyer DUNCAN (Lt Cdr C Gwinner Rtd, repairing at Grangemouth)

Convoy C (Captain R.Kerr, Captain D Rosyth Escort Force)

Sloops AUCKLAND (Cdr J G Hewitt DSO), BITTERN (Lt Cdr R.H Mills), BLACK SWAN (Captain A L Poland), EGRET (Cdr D P Evans, repairing at Rosyth), FLAMINGO (Cdr J H Huntley), FLEETWOOD (Cdr A N Grey DSO), GRIMSBY (Cdr K J D'Arcy), HASTINGS (Lt Cdr A B Alison), LONDONDERRY (Cdr Sir Thomas L Beevor Bt), LOWESTOFT (Cdr A M Knapp), PELICAN (Cdr LA K Boswell DSO), STORK (Cdr A C Behague), and WESTON (Lt Cdr S C Tuke)

Escort ships/destroyers VALENTINE (Cdr H J Buchanan RAN), VALOROUS (Lt Cdr E Mack), VEGA (Cdr C I Horton, repairing at Rosyth), VIMIERA (Lt Cdr R.B N Hicks), VIVIEN (Lt Cdr D G Weir), WALLACE (Cdr B I Robertshaw), WESTMINSTER (Lt Cdr A A C Ouvry), WHITLEY (Lt Cdr G N Rolfe), WOLSEY (Cdr C H Campbell), and WOOLSTON (Cdr J Phipps)

Nore Command

1st Destroyer Flotilla (Captain G E Creasy)

Division 1, CODRINGTON (Creasy), GRENADE (Cdr R.C Boyle), Polish BLYSKAWICA (Cdr S Nahorski, ORP), GROM (Cdr A Hulewicz (Hulewiscowi ?), ORP) and BURZA (Cdr Francki, ORP),

Division 2, GRAFTON (Cdr C E C Robinson, repairing at Hull), GREYHOUND (Cdr R.Marshall-A'Dean), GLOWWORM (Lt Cdr G B Roope), GRIFFIN (Lt Cdr J Lee Barber), and GALLANT (Lt Cdr C P F Brown, repairing at Southampton)

Dover

19th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain D J R.Simson)

Division 37, KEITH (Captain D J R.Simson), BASILISK (Cdr M Richmond, repairing at Blackwall) Destroyer BEAGLE (Lt Cdr R.H Wright), and BOREAS (Lt Cdr M Tomkinson, repairing at London)

Division 38, BOADICEA (Lt Cdr G B Kingdon), BRAZEN (Lt Cdr Sir Michael Culme-Seymour Bt), and BRILLIANT (Lt Cdr F C Brodrick)

Portsmouth Command

16th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain T E Halsey)

Division 31, MALCOLM (Halsey), VENOMOUS (Lt Cdr J E H McBeath, repairing at Portsmouth) Destroyer and WIVERN (Lt Cdr C Bushell),

Division 32, ARROW (Cdr H Williams), ANTHONY (Lt Cdr N J V Thew), ACHATES (Cdr R.J Gardner), and ACHERON (Lt Cdr R. F Northcott)

Western Approaches Command

9th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain E B K Stevens DSC), HAVELOCK (Stevens, repairing at Plymouth), HESPERUS (Lt Cdr D G F MacIntyre), HAVANT (Lt Cdr A F Burnell-Nugent), and HIGHLANDER (Cdr WA Dallmeyer)

11th Destroyer Flotilla (Rear Admiral C H Little Rtd, Captain D Liverpool)

Division 21, MACKAY (Cdr G H Stokes), WALPOLE (Lt Cdr H G Bowerman), VANQUISHER (Cdr C B Alers-Hankey), WINCHELSEA (Lt Cdr WA F Hawkins, repairing at Liverpool), WALKER (Lt CdrA A Tait), and VANOC (Lt Cdr J G Deneys)

Division 22, VERSATILE (Cdr T E Hussey Rtd), VIMY (Lt Cdr C G Donald), WHIRLWIND (Lt Cdr J M Rodgers), WARWICK (Lt Cdr MA G Child), and SALADIN (Lt Cdr L J Dover)

15th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain C Caslon, Captain D Plymouth)

Division 29, BROKE (Cdr B G Scurfield), WANDERER (Cdr R.F Morice), WHITEHALL (Lt Cdr A B Russell), WITCH (Lt Cdr J R.Barnes), and VANSITTART (Lt Cdr Evershed)

Division 30, WOLVERINE (Cdr R.H Craske), WITHERINGTON (Lt Cdr J B Palmer), VOLUNTEER (Lt Cdr N Lanyon), and VERITY (Lt CdrA R.M Black, repairing at Plymouth)

17th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain F C Bradley, Captain D Plymouth from 8 April)

Division 33, CAMPBELL (Captain F C Bradley, Lt Cdr R.M Aubrey from 8 April), MONTROSE (Cdr C R.L Parry), VISCOUNT (Lt Cdr M S Townsend OBE, DSC), WESSEX (Lt Cdr WA R.Cartwright, repairing at Milford Haven), and VIVACIOUS (Lt Cdr F R. Parish)

Division 34, WAKEFUL (Cdr R.L Fisher), VESPER (Lt Cdr F E Hussey), VANESSA (Lt Cdr EA Stocker DSC), and VENETIA (Lt Cdr B H de C Mellor)

18th Destroyer Flotilla (Captain D Plymouth)

Division 35, ACASTA (Cdr C E Glasfurd), ANTELOPE (Lt Cdr R.T White DSO), AMAZON (Lt Cdr N E G Roper), and ARDENT (Lt Cdr J E Barker)

Division 36, VETERAN (Cdr J E Broome, repairing at Plymouth), WREN (Cdr H T Armstrong, repairing at Plymouth), WHITSHED (Cdr E R.Conder, repairing at Plymouth), WINDSOR (Lt Cdr P D H R.Pelly), and WILD SWAN (Lt Cdr J L Younghusband)

Not assigned or undergoing long-term conversions

Grangemouth - SABRE (Cdr B Dean Rtd)

London - SARDONYX (dockyard control)

Chatham - WOLFHOUND (Lt Cdr J McCoy DSC), VERDUN (dockyard control)

Sheerness - WORCESTER (Cdr J H Allison)

Portsmouth - AMBUSCADE (Lt Cdr A O Johnson), SCIMITAR (Lt F D Franks), WINCHESTER (Lt Cdr S.E Crewe-Read), SKATE (Lt Cdr R.A Fell), VICEROY (dockyard control)

Plymouth - VANITY (dockyard control)