Sunday, 5 January

Light cruiser EMERALD was damaged while leaving dockyard at Plymouth.

The damage was assessed to require four to seven days to repair. She was able to depart Portsmouth on the 12th for the South Atlantic.

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Convoy OB.270 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers WILD SWAN and WITCH, corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, GARDENIA, PERIWINKLE. Sloop ABERDEEN joined on the 6th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 8th.

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Convoy FN.376 departed Southend, escorted destroyer WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Methil on the 7th.

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Sloop LOWESTOFT, arriving with convoy FS.378, was damaged by a mining in the Thames Estuary.

The sloop was able to arrive at Sheerness on the 5th.

The sloop was repairing to 3 October at Chatham.

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Destroyer CHURCHILL departed Scapa Flow at 1200 for the Clyde following working up.

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Destroyer SOUTHDOWN departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth at 2000 following working up.

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Destroyers BLENCATHRA and TYNEDALE departed Scapa Flow at 2030 for Portsmouth following working up.

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Destroyers COTTESMORE at 1030 and BELMONT at 1400 arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

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Minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.11 in St Georges Channel.

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Lt Cdr . E. Fletcher, commanding officer of barrage balloon vessel trawler HASLEMERE, drowned attempting to rescued a downed pilot near East Knock John Buoy in the English Channel.

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Italian submarine CAPPELLINI sank British steamer SHAKESPEAR (5029grt/总吨位) from dispersed convoy OB.262 at 18-05N, 21-10.

Eighteen crew and two gunners were lost on the steamer. The survivors were towed in their boats to within sight of land.

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British steamer TEMPLE MOAT (4427grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in 55-20N, 18-55.

One crewman was killed.

The steamer arrived at Gareloch on the 9th.

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Dutch steamer ALIOTH (5483grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing near Cork Light Vessel.

The steamer grounded in entrance to the fairway at Harwich. Steamer ALIOTH was refloated and arrived at Ipswich on the 10th.

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German auxiliary patrol vessel Vp.306 (trawler FRITZ HINCKE, 391grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine near Ymuiden.

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Light cruiser KENYA and corvettes CLEMATIS, CYCLAMEN, GERANIUM, JONQUIL arrived Gibraltar escorting British troopship EMPIRE TROOPER (13,994grt/总吨位) from Ponta Delgada.

The troopship's troops were disembarked at Gibraltar and the troopship began repairs completed in March.

Aircraft carrier ARGUS, heavy cruiser BERWICK, destroyers FORESTER, FURY, FOXHOUND, WISHART departed Gibraltar to cover as they proceeded northwards.

On the 6th, destroyers FORESTER, FURY, FOXHOUND arrived back at Gibraltar. On the 7th, destroyer WISHART was detached and returned to Gibraltar. Heavy cruiser BERWICK proceeded to Portsmouth. Repairs to the cruiser were begun on the 17th and were completed on 10 May. Aircraft carrier ARGUS proceeded to the Clyde, arriving 14 January.

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Italian coastal steamer VULCANO (273grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine at Tobruk.

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American heavy cruiser LOUISVILLE arrived at Simonstown to embark British gold to be deposited in American banks. The heavy cruiser departed Simonstown on the 6th and arrived in New York on the 22nd.