Wednesday, 1 January

Destroyers DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, JAGUAR, HERO departed Gibraltar on 31 December on a RATION operation. Anti-aircraft cruiser BONAVENTURE departed Gibraltar on the 1st to support.

On the 1st, the destroyers intercepted French convoy K.5 of four ships, French steamer CHANTILLY (9986grt/总吨位), French tankers OCTANE (1950grt/总吨位) and SUROIT (554grt/总吨位), Danish steamer SALLY MAERSK (3252grt/总吨位), escorted by armed trawler LA TOULONAISE, in the Gibraltar Straits, coming from Casablanca, having departed on 30 December, for Oran.

Destroyer JAGUAR fired on steamer CHANTILLY. Two on the steamer were killed and four were wounded. The convoy was taken towards Gibraltar. A storm caused dispersal of the convoy. Steamer CHANTILLY arrived at Gibraltar on the 2ndand tankers OCTANE with an armed guard from destroyer HERO and SUROIT with an armed guard arrived on the 3rd. The Danish ship with an armed guard from destroyer FIREDRAKE also arrived at Gibraltar.

Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, light cruiser SHEFFIELD, destroyers FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FURY departed Gibraltar to support this operation and sweep in the western Mediterranean.

The ARK ROYAL force arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th. Steamer CHANTILLY and tanker OCTANE proceeded to England in convoy HG.57 on 24 March.

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Italian submarine BAGNOLINI attacked armed boarding vessel NORTHERN PRIDE in 54N, 14 without success.

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Light cruisers ARETHUSA and AURORA and destroyers BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MATABELE, TARTAR departed Scapa Flow at 0830 to cover destroyers INTREPID and ICARUS departing to lay mines off Jaederens Point and Obrestad in Operation DZ.

Destroyer ICARUS damaged her mine rails casting off from depot ship MAIDSTONE. The ships returned to port at 1109 while destroyer ICARUS was repaired.

The force departed again at 0800/2nd for the operations.

During the morning, destroyers BEDOUIN and MASHONA were detached for forty five minutes to search for a submarine reported by a trawler in 58-57N, 2-12.

The mines were laid and all ships arrived back at 1415/3rd.

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Light cruisers MANCHESTER and NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol.

Light cruiser NIGERIA had serious engine room defects.

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Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 0930 to carry out exercises, then join convoy WN.62 until dark.

The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow at 2330.

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Convoy OB.268 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers VETERAN and WOLVERINE, sloop DEPTFORD, corvettes ARBUTUS, DELPHINIUM, ERICA. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 4th.

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Convoy FN.373 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VIMIERA and sloop WESTON, and arrived at Methil on the 3rd.

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Convoy FS.377 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

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Destroyer MEYNELL arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth for working up.

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Destroyer WHITSHED arrived at Scapa Flow from the Nore for working up.

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British steamer ATTENDANT (1016grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine one cable east of 9 Buoy, Sheerness.

The steamer was beached, was later refloated and towed to Gravesend for drydocking.

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Convoy SL.61 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser BULOLO to 18 January and anti-submarine trawlers KELt and TURCOMAN to 3 January.

On the 18th, destroyer VETERAN and corvette DELPHINIUM joined the convoy. On the 19th, corvette ARBUTUS joined and on the 20th, corvette CAMELLIA joined. These four were detached on the 21st.

On the 22nd, destroyer WOLVERINE joined and on the 23rd, anti-submarine trawler LEEDS UNITED joined. These escorted the convoy to arrival at Liverpool on the 24th.

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Convoy SLS.61 departed Freetown escorted by anti-submarine trawlers BENGALI and SPANIARD to 7 January, and arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

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Convoy HX.100 departed Halifax, escorted by armed merchant cruiser COMORAN, corvette COLLINGWOOD, escort vessel OTTER. The corvette and the patrol vessel were detached the next day. The armed merchant cruiser was detached on the 12th.

Convoy BHX.100 departed Bermuda on 30 December escorted by ocean escort armed merchant cruiser MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.100/4thand the armed merchant cruiser was detached.

On the 13th, destroyers VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and corvettes GENTIAN and RHODODENDRON joined the convoy. Destroyer WHITEHALL was with the convoy on the 13th. Destroyers VANQUISHER and WINCHELSEA and corvette RHODODENDRON were detached on the 16th and destroyer VISCOUNT and corvette GENTIAN the next day, and arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

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A Fulmar of 803 Squadron from aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE failed to return from a reconnaisance flight. Petty Officer H A Glover and Petty Officer R F Hurford were both killed.