Wednesday, 8 January

The flag of CS 18 was transferred from Light cruiser MANCHESTER to light cruiser EDINBURGH.

Light cruiser MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow at 0128 on the 11th for refitting and stiffening in the Tyne.

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Light cruiser ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow after guard ship duties at Oban.

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Convoy OB.271 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and corvettes GENTIAN and RHODODENDRON. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 12th.

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Convoy FN.378 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 10th.

Convoy FN.379 did not sail.

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Destroyers JACKAL and BROADWAY arrived at Scapa Flow at 1100 from Plymouth to carry out exercises and working up.

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Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1300 to escort convoy WN.65 from the Pentland Firth until moonset.

The cruiser arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1000/9th.

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Minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.12 in St Georges Channel.

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Minelayer TEVIOTBANK, escorted by destroyer INTREPID, laid minefield BS.48 off the East Coast of England.

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Trinity House Tender STRATHEARN (683grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine in 51-45N, 1-10E.

Fifteen crew and passengers were lost.

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British steamer CLYTONEUS (6278grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing in 56-23N, 15-28.

The entire crew was rescued by armed merchant cruiser ESPERANCE BAY and destroyer WILD SWAN.

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Naples was bombed by British Malta based bombers.

Italian battleship CESARE was damaged by three near misses, but later repaired at La Spezia.

Battleship VENETO, escorted by the 19th Destroyer Division, was sent to La Spezia to take her out of the reach of Malta bombers.

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Force A refuelled destroyers at Suda Bay, arriving at 1230. The Force departed at 1400.

Force B, the British GLOUCESTER force, arrived at Malta during the morning and disembarked their troops.

Destroyer JANUS remained at Malta for docking.

Force B then departed to join the EXCESS convoy.

Australian light cruiser SYDNEY, completed of her refit, departed Valletta, escorted by Australian destroyer STUART. These ships rendezvoused with Force D. They all then joined Force A at 1030/9th southeast of Malta.

Light cruiser SYDNEY and destroyer STUART were detached from Force A at 1240 for Alexandria.

Force D was detached from Force A at 1330 to cover the convoys and provide anti-aircraft support for convoy ME.6 on the 10th.

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Convoy AS.10 of seven British and three other ships, escorted by five Greek destroyers, departed Piraeus, and arrived at Suda Bay on the 8th and at Port Said on the 10th.

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Convoy HG.50 departed Gibraltar escorted by corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL until 12 January.

On the 12th, the corvettes were relieved by sloop SCARBOROUGH.

French corvette LA MALOUINE joined the conovy on the 20th. On the 21st, destroyers HESPERUS, JACKAL, MALCOLM, SHIKARI, SKATE, SKEENA, corvete ARABIS, anti-submarine trawler WELLARD joined the convoy. Corvette ARABIS was detached on the 23rd and destroyer SKATE on the 24th, and arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.