Saturday, 4 January

Light cruiser ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to relieve light cruiser NAIAD on guard duties at Oban.

When relieved, light cruiser NAIAD proceeded to the Clyde.

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Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.63 from Pentland Firth until dark.

The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0830/5th.

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Destroyers ICARUS and INTREPID departed Scapa Flow at 0200 for Rosyth en route to the Nore.

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Destroyer NAPIER and Polish destroyer PIORUN departed Scapa Flow at 2000 to meet and escort armed merchant cruisers WOLFE and CILICIA from the North Minches to their Northern Patrol stations. The destroyers then escorted armed merchant cruisers LETITIA and CHITRAL from the patrol area to the North Minches.

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Destroyer LEAMINGTON departed Scapa Flow at 1800 for Londonderry after completing working up exercises.

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Convoy FN.375 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VANITY and WESTMINSTER, and arrived at Methil on the 6th.

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Convoy FS.379 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers VIVIEN and WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 6th.

Convoy FS.380 was cancelled.

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Battleships WARSPITE, BARHAM, VALIANT, aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, destroyers ILEX, JANUS, JUNO, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, DIAMOND, GALLANT, VOYAGER, DAINTY arrived at Alexandria.

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Italian torpedo boat PEGASO, escorting Italian steamers EZILDA CROCE (1230grt/总吨位) and PALLADE (1131grt/总吨位) from Tripoli, was attacked by British torpedo planes near Cape Bon.

No damage was done, and arrived at Palermo on the 5th and Naples on the 9th.

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In air operations from Aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE, Lt I. Easton and Naval Airman J. A. Burkey in a Fulmar of 803 Squadron failed to return from a reconnaissance flight over Dakar.

It was later found that they had been shot down and interned at Dakar by French Vichy forces.

Both were liberated at the end of 1942.

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Convoy BN.12A departed Suez, escorted by sloop YARRA, and arrived at Port Sudan on the 6th.

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Destroyer STRONGHOLD began minelaying around Singapore. By 8 March, the destroyer had laid Minefield No.2 of six lines of mines and Minefield No.3 of eleven lines of mines.