Friday, 10 January

Direction finding readings 300 miles west of Bloody Foreland caused a sortie from Scapa Flow. Battlecruisers HOOD (VA BCS) and REPULSE, light cruisers EDINBURGH (VA 18th CS) and BIRMINGHAM, destroyers SOMALI, BEDOUIN, TARTAR, ESKIMO, ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow at 0101 on the 11th.

When no contact was made, the ships arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0100/13th.

Before arriving, battlecruiser HOOD was detached to Rosyth for refitting. She was joined by destroyers ECHO, ELECTRA, KEPPEL, which departed Scapa Flow at 2300/12th, in Pentland Firth and arrived at Rosyth on the 13th.

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Minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.14 in St Georges Channel during the night of 10/11 January.

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Destroyer JACKAL departed Scapa Flow at 1000 for Devonport following a short series of exercises.

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Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.66 from Pentland Firth to the latitude of Buchan Ness.

The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 11th.

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Convoy OB.272 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyer WESTCOTT, ocean boarding vessel CRISPIN, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes CANDYTUFT and HONEYSUCKLE, anti-submarine yacht SURPRISE. The yacht was detached later that day and the corvettes on the 13th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 14th when the convoy dispersed.

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Convoy FN.380 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 12th.

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Convoy FS.385 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers VESPER and WOOLSTON, and arrived at Southend on the 13th.

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Anti-aircraft ship TYNWALD, while fitting out at Portsmouth, was damaged by German bombing.

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British P/T/Sub Lt . D. C. Hughes RNVR, P/T/Sub Lt N. A. Koelges RNVR, were killed when their Swordfish of 812 Squadron crashed near Halton.

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British steamer MIDDLESEX (9583grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine at 0.8 miles 198° from Flat Holm Island.

The entire crew were rescued.

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German tanker NORDMARK replenished German supply ship EUROFELD (5947grt/总吨位) at sea.

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Dawn - EXCESS convoy escorts encountered Italian torpedo boats VEGA and CIRCE off Cape Bon. Light cruisers SOUTHAMPTON and BONAVENTURE, escorted by HEREWARD and JAGUAR, sank VEGA, but BONAVENTURE expended 75% of her ammunition and there were no reserves in Alexandria. One rating was killed and four were wounded, with one dying of wounds on 4 April, in cruiser BONAVENTURE.

Torpedo boat CIRCE escaped with only splinter damage, but she was attacked later in the day by Malta based aircraft.

At 0815, the EXCESS convoy and its escorts, undamaged, joined Cunningham's Force A.

At 0834, destroyer GALLANT (Lt Cdr C. P. F. Brown) struck a mine off Pantelleria in 36-27N, 12-11E. The destroyer's bow was blown off.

Fifty eight ratings were killed and twenty five were wounded.

A Fulmar of 806 Squadron from aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS was shot down sixty miles southwest of Malta. Sub Lt I. L. F. Lowe was wounded, but was rescued by destroyer JAGUAR. Naval Airman R. D. Kensett was killed.

Destroyers HEREWARD and JAGUAR joined Force A.

At 1000, light cruisers GLOUCESTER and SOUTHAMPTON were ordered to stand by destroyer GALLANT. Off Malta, the cruisers were detached at 0500/11th.

Destroyer GALLANT was towed to Malta by destroyer GRIFFIN and escorted by light cruiser BONAVENTURE and destroyer MOHAWK.

Anti-aircraft cruiser BONAVENTURE and destroyer JAGUAR remained at Malta to return to Gibraltar. However, on the 14th, they sailed with light cruiser ORION to Alexandria. Cruiser BONAVENTURE carried non essential personnel from aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS. The ships arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

At 0800/10th, convoy MW.5 1/2 arrived at Malta.

On the 10th, convoy ME.6 of steamers VOLO (1587grt/总吨位), former Italian RODI (3220grt/总吨位), PONTFIELD (8290grt/总吨位), ULSTER PRINCE (3791grt/总吨位), DEVIS (6054grt/总吨位), Norwegian tanker HOEGH HOOD (9351grt/总吨位), tanker TROCAS (7406grt/总吨位), oiler PLUMLEAF (5916grt/总吨位) departed Malta at 0700 escorted by corvettes PEONY, SALVIA, GLOXINIA, HYACINTH departed Malta at 0700. Anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA joined the convoy later in the day for anti-aircraft support.

Convoy ME.5 1/2 of steamers WAIWERA (10,800grt/总吨位) and LANARKSHIRE (9816grt/总吨位) departed Malta at 1130 escorted by destroyer DIAMOND.

Both convoys safely arrived at Alexandria on the 13th.

Destroyer JANUS departed Malta at 1200 and joined Force A.

Steamer ESSEX (11,063grt/总吨位) arrived at Malta at 2045 escorted by destroyer HERO.

Heavy cruiser YORK was detached at 1830 to join the EXCESS convoy.

At 1235 to 1245, heavy air attacks on Cunningham's force in 36-00N, 13-12E. ILLUSTRIOUS was hit by six bombs and was forced to retire to Malta for repairs escorted by HASTY and JAGUAR.

Eighty three officers and men were killed on the aircraft carrier. Lt P. M. Gregory of air staff, A/Sub Lt H. N. Loudon, A/Sub Lt (A) J. Marshall, Petty Officer Airman J. D. Bushell of 806 Squadron, Lt N. McI. Kemp, Lt (A) F. S. Beales, Sub Lt (A) A. L. O. Wray RNVR RNVR, of 815 Squadron, Lt E. . Clifford, Lt (A) R. G. Skelton, P/Sub Lt (A) A. F. X. Mardel-Ferreira RNVR, P/T/Sub Lt (A) E. A. Perkins RNVR, of 819 Squadron, T/Lt (E) N. H. Pitts, Gunner . R. Anstis, P/Lt A. G. E. Manisty, RM, were killed. Sixty six ship ratings, A/Flying Officer J. . Harris, RAF, fifteen RAF ratings, thirty three FAA ratings were lost. Marshall and Petty Officer N. E. Tallack were killed when their Skua, which would not start, was destroyed on the deck in the bombing.

Officers wounded were Cdr G. H. Beale, T/Sub Lt (A) . H. Clisby RNVR, of 806 Squadron P/T/Paymaster Sub Lt A. V. Drummond RNVR, Lt G. R. M. Going of 819 Squadron, Boatswain D.B. Howe, Lt H. R.B. Janvrin of 815 Squadron, Lt R. F. Kipling, Sub Lt (A) I. L. F. Lowe of 806 Squadron, Lt (A) . D. Morford of 819 Squadron.

Five Swordfish aircraft were destroyed in the bombing and four others were damaged, but repairable. Five Fulmars of 806 Squadron were lost.

The aircraft carrier arrived at Malta at 2145.

Battleship WARSPITE was also hit by a bomb, but it did not cause damage.

Battleship VALIANT was near missed by several bombs. One rating was killed and two were wounded by splinters.

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Italian submarine SETTIMO fired torpedoes at a light cruiser in 35-22N, 16-15E.

Italian submarine SETTIMO attacked British units escorting the EXCESS convoy that night and into the morning of 12 January, without success.

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In Operation MONSOON, aircraft carrier FURIOUS departed Freetown on the 6th with light cruiser DELHI and destroyers ISIS and ENCOUNTER.

On the 10th, thirty nine Hurricanes and nine Fulmars were flown off to Takoradi, the aircraft carrier and light cruiser NEPTUNE departed Takoradi.

The light cruiser was detached to Lagos for fuelling on the 10th.

The aircraft carrier departed Freetown on the 16th, escorted by light cruiser NEPTUNE and destroyers ISIS and ENCOUNTER. The ships proceeded to Gibraltar due to a shortage of fuel in the ships.

Aircraft carrier FURIOUS arrived back in the Clyde on 5 February and began refitting at Greenock.

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Convoy SL.62 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser PRETORIA CASTLE to 28 January.

On the 28th, corvette MALLOW and anti-submarine trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and ST ELSTAN joined to 3 February.

Destroyers JACKAL to 1 February, SALADIN, SKATE and corvette KINGCUP joined on the 30th and destroyers SARDONYX and SCIMITAR and corvette ANEMONE joined on the 31st, and arrived at Liverpool on 3 February.

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Convoy SLS.62 departed Freetown. The convoy was escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE from 25 January to 4 February.

On the 30th, destroyer VOLUNTEER and corvette TULIP joined the convoy and escorted it to 4 February.

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French steamer CANTAL (3178grt/总吨位) departed Fort de France for Casablanca on 28 December.

The steamer was intercepted by British ocean boarding vessel MARON at 29-35N, 21-20 and sent to Gibraltar, arriving on the 14th.

The steamer was sent to England in convoy HG.57 on 24 March.

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Convoy BS.12B departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY, and arrived at Port Sudan on the 13th.