Friday, 5 July

Destroyer WHIRLWIND (Lt Cdr J. M. Rodgers) of the 11th Destroyer Flotilla was badly damaged by U.34 southwest of Ireland in 50?17N, 08?48.

Fifty six ratings and the NAAFI manager were lost on the destroyer. Lt Cdr J. M. Rodgers, Lt C. R. Bax, and twenty one ratings were wounded. Destroyer WESTCOTT took off the survivors and scuttled destroyer WHIRLWIND with gunfire.

Sloop LEITH was also standing by. She then returned to convoy OB.178.

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Destroyer IMOGEN damaged her propellers in contact with a submerged object in the Fair Isle Channel.

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British corvette CALENDULA was damaged by near misses of German bombing off Plymouth at 1413.

The corvette returned to Plymouth.

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Six Swordfish of 823 Squadron and nine Skuas of 801 Squadron departed Hatston to attack a damaged merchant ship reported by a Hudson of 269 Squadron off the Norwegian coast.

No contact was made, but returning Swordfish attacked Submarine TETRARCH in 59-13N, 3-13E mistaking her for a German submarine.

Five torpedoes were launched, but no damage was done to the Submarine.

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Destroyer GARTH departed the Clyde at 1300 with minelayer MENESTHEUS for Loch Alsh. The destroyer continued on to Scapa Flow.

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British minefield AW was laid in the Wash by minelayer PLOVER and Dutch minelayer WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN on 5 and 6 July.

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Convoys OA.179 and OA.180 departed Methil escorted by Canadian destroyer ST LAURENT from 9 to 13 July and corvette HIBISCUS from 9 to 12 July. The convoy passed through the Pentland Firth on the 10th.

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Convoy OB.179 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyer WALKER and sloop DEPTFORD from 5 to 8 July. The escorts were detached to convoy SL.37. The convoy dispersed on the 9th.

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Convoy FN.214 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VANESSA, VEGA, and WINCHESTER. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 7th.

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Convoy MT.103 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 6th.

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Convoy FS.214 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyer WOLSEY and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th.

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Convoy FS.215 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyer WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. Destroyers JAVELIN and JUPITER joined the convoy for 6 July. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 6th and arrived with the convoy. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.

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Special service ship EMERALD WINGS (2139grt/总吨位) arrived at Scapa Flow as a blockship and she was subsequently deployed.

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U.99 sank Canadian steamer MAGOG (2053grt/总吨位), a straggler from convoy HX.52, 58 miles WSW of Fastnet in 50?31N, 11?05.

The crew was rescued.

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Nine Swordfish of 813 Squadron from aircraft carrier EAGLE took off from Sidi Barrani and raided Tobruk.

Italian destroyer ZEFFIRO was sunk.

Italian destroyer EURO was badly damaged and her bow was blown off. She was later towed to Taranto and repaired.

Italian liner LIGURIA (15,354grt/总吨位) was bombed and beached to prevent sinking.

Italian steamers MANZONI (3955grt/总吨位) was sunk and SERENITAS (5171grt/总吨位) was badly damaged.

Both steamers were later repaired by the British for their use.

Light cruisers CAPETOWN and CALEDON with destroyers JANUS, JUNO, IMPERIAL, and ILEX, which all departed Alexandria on the 5th, were at sea to render assistance to downed flyers of the Tobruk raid.

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Australian heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA joined Aircraft carrier HERMES and heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE off Dakar.