Thursday, 9 January

Convoy FS.384 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET. Patrol sloops GUILLEMOT and SHELDRAKE were with the convoy on the 10th, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.

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Naval drifter DUSKY QUEEN (40grt/总吨位) was lost when she ran aground in the Dover Straits.

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Minesweeper SALTBURN was damaged by the near miss of a German air bomb in Portsmouth dockyard.

The minesweeper spent no time out of service.

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Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, escorted by RENOWN, SHEFFIELD, destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, flew five Swordfish of 821X Squadron to Malta.

A Swordfish of 818 Squadron, returning from a diversionary raid on Cagliari, force landed in the sea 130 miles from the Fleet. Lt A. H. Appleton and Sub Lt R. I. . Goddard were rescued by destroyer FOXHOUND.

Two Italian bombers were shot down by a Fulmar of 808 Squadron. One crewman from one bomber was picked up by destroyer FOXHOUND; two crew of the other bomber were picked up by destroyer FORESTER.

Force H reversed course and returned to Gibraltar after the EXCESS convoy was joined by light cruisers GLOUCESTER and SOUTHAMPTON and destroyer ILEX off Cape Bon.

At that time, light cruiser BONAVENTURE and destroyer JAGUAR were detached to Malta and returned to the force shortly before dusk that evening.

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Submarine PANDORA sank Italian steamers PALMA (2715grt/总吨位) and VALDIVAGNA (5400grt/总吨位) in 39-15N, 9-44E off Cape Carbonara, Sardinia.

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Submarine PARTHIAN (4208grt/总吨位) sank Italian steamer CARLO MARTINOLICH (4208grt/总吨位) in 38-28N, 16-44E off Calabria.

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Submarine ROVER unsuccessfully attacked a small steamer with artillery in 32-23N, 23-21E.

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Greek submarine NEREUS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Brindisi.

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Greek submarine TRITON unsuccessfully attacked an Italian submarine off Otranto.

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Italian coastal steamer GIOVANNI MARI (636grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine twelve miles from Bardia.

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Italian destroyers ASCARI, CARABINIERE, FOLGORE, FULMINE bombarded Greek positions at Porto Palmermo, Albania.

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Italian submarine BEILUL fired torpedoes at two ships in a convoy in 35-25N, 26-28E.

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U.105 sank British steamer BASSANO (4843grt/总吨位) in 57-57N, 17-42.

One crewman was lost. The rest of the crew and passengers were rescued by destroyer WILD SWAN and armed merchant cruiser ESPERANCE BAY.

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Italian submarine GLAUCO reported shelling an 8000 ton steamer in 53N, 17.

The submarine claimed two shell hits, but no confirmation is available.

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British steamer DORSET COAST (646grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine in 51-24N, 3-08.

The steamer was brought into Penarth Dock.

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French trawler URANIA departed Saint Pierre et Miquelon for Casablanca on 28 December.

The trawler was intercepted by a British ocean boarding vessel on the 9th and sent into Gibraltar arriving on the 11th.