Sunday, 12 January

Italian battleships VENETO and DORIA, the 3rd Cruiser Division, eight destroyers, which had put to sea earlier, returned to La Spezia thinking aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS was still operational.

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Battleships WARSPITE and VALIANT, light cruiser GLOUCESTER, destroyers JERVIS, JANUS, GREYHOUND, DIAMOND, VOYAGER, HERO, DEFENDER proceeded to Alexandria.

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Light cruisers ORION and PERTH, heavy cruiser YORK, destroyers MOHAWK and GRIFFIN, Force X proceeded to Suda Bay to refuel.

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Steamers CLAN CUMMING, CLAN MACDONALD, EMPIRE SONG of the EXCESS convoy arrived at Pireaus at 1000.

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Australian light cruiser SYDNEY passed through the Suez Canal to return to Australia after duty with the Mediterranean Fleet.

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Netlayer PROTECTOR, having completed laying anti torpedo net at Bardia, departed for Alexandria after embarking 1058 prisoners.

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Convoy WS.5B departed Avonmouth with four ships and Liverpool with six ships on the 7th. The ships were anchored in Moelfre Bay from 8 to 11 January, because fog delayed the departure of the eleven ships of the Clyde section.

Destroyer VANSITTART escorted the Bristol Channel portion of the convoy.

Heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA and destroyers HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, WITHERINGTON escorted the Liverpool section to Moelfre Bay and provided anti-aircraft protection with anti-aircraft cruiser NAIAD.

Destroyers OTTAWA, LEOPARD, CHURCHILL, LINCOLN, WATCHMAN, FEARLESS, BEAGLE, BRILLIANT escorted the five ships of the Clyde section able to sail.

Destroyer FORESIGHT departed Liverpool 8 January and joined the convoy in Moelfre Bay.

On the 11th, the ships in Moelfre Bay moved to Belfast Lough to take on water.

The Clyde section rendezvoused with the other sections on the 12th.

Convoy WS.5B of steamers DUCHESS OF BEDFORD (20,123grt/总吨位), FRANCONIA (20,175grt/总吨位), CAPETOWN CASTLE (27,000grt/总吨位), NEA HELLAS (16,991grt/总吨位), ARUNDEL CASTLE (19,118grt/总吨位), EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt/总吨位), WINDSOR CASTLE (19,141grt/总吨位), MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt/总吨位), ATHLONE CASTLE (25,564grt/总吨位), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (21,833grt/总吨位), PENNLAND (16,082grt/总吨位), BRITANNIC (26, 943grt/总吨位), WINCHESTER CASTLE (20,012grt/总吨位), ORMONDE (14,982grt/总吨位), DURBAN CASTLE (17,388grt/总吨位), SAMARIA (19,597grt/总吨位), DUCHESS OF RICHMOND (20,022grt/总吨位), HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN (14,135grt/总吨位), HIGHLAND PRINCESS (14,172grt/总吨位), DUCHESS OF YORK (20,021grt/总吨位).

Escorting the convoy were destroyers WITHERINGTON and LEOPARD to 14 January. Destroyers LINCOLN, VANSITTART, FEARLESS, BRILLIANT, WATCHMAN, BEAGLE, JACKAL, LEAMINGTON to 16 January. Destroyers HIGHLANDER and HARVESTER to 16 January.

Anti-aircraft cruisers NAIAD and PHOEBE proceeded with the convoy until 15 January. Cruiser PHOEBE took steamers MONARCH OF BERMUDA and CAPETOWN CASTLE to Gibraltar, arriving at 1500/18th.

Steamers MONARCH OF BERMUDA and CAPETOWN CASTLE embarked the troops which had been carried by troopship EMPIRE TROOPER.

These two steamers departed Gibraltar for Freetown on the 19th escorted by destroyers ISIS, ENCOUNTER, DUNCAN, FEARLESS, FURY. The destroyers joined aircraft carrier FURIOUS and light cruiser NEPTUNE. They arrived off Gibraltar on the 22nd, but could not enter due to bad weather. The ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd.

Light cruiser PHOEBE departed Gibraltar on the 19th to return to England.

Light cruiser EMERALD departed Portsmouth.

Battleship RAMILLIES was with the convoy until 17 January. Heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA and light cruiser EMERALD remained with the convoy arriving at Freetown on the 25th.

Corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA joined the convoy on the 21st. Destroyer VELOX joined the convoy on the 22nd and destroyer VIDETTE and corvette CLEMATIS joined the convoy on the 24th. The convoy departed Freetown, minus DUCHESS OF YORK, plusBritish steamer CAMERONIA (16,297grt/总吨位), escorted by destroyers FAULKNOR and FORESTER, sloop MILFORD, corvettes CYCLAMEN and CLEMATIS to 1 February.

Light cruiser EMERALD arrived at Capetown on 8 February with ATHLONE CASTLE, CAPETOWN, CASTLE, ARUNDEL CASTLE, WINCHESTER CASTLE, DURBAN CASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, EMPRESS OF JAPAN. The light cruiser then on to Simonstown.

Heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA with PENNLAND, NEA HELLAS, BRITANNIC, FRANCONIA, SAMARIA, CAMERONIA, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, ORMONDE, WINDSOR CASTLE, HIGHLAND PRINCESS, HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN arrived at Durban on 11 February. The convoy departed Capetown on 12 February, escorted by light cruiser EMERALD and from Durban on 15 February, escorted by heavy cruiser AUSTRALIA. The two sections rendezvoused off Durban.

On 21 February, liners EMPRESS OF JAPAN, WINDSOR CASTLE, ORMONDE, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, escorted by light cruiser EMERALD, were detached to Mombasa.

Convoy WS.5B continued to Suez escorted by heavy cruisers AUSTRALIA and HAWKINS, arriving on 3 March. Australian sloop PARRAMATTA was the Red Sea escort for the convoy.

On 22 February, the cruisers were detached to hunt the German heavy cruiser SCHEER. This duty continued until 26 February.

This section departed Mombasa on 24 February as convoy WS.5 X escorted by light cruiser ENTERPRISE. Light cruiser CAPETOWN joined convoy WS.5 X on 27 February and they arrived at Bombay on 3 March.

On 5 March, EMPRESS OF JAPAN and AQUITANIA departed Bombay escorted by light cruiser ENTERPRISE. They were joined by light cruiser DURBAN on 8 March. Light cruiser ENTERPRISE departed the convoy on 9 March. On 11 March, the convoy arrived at Singapore.

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Convoy SC.19 departed Halifax, escorted by armed merchant cruiser AURANIA and corvette ARROWHEAD. The corvette was detached the next day. On the 26th, the armed mechant cruiser was detached and corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE, anti-submarine trawler LADY MADELEINE, seaplane carrier PEGASUS joined the escort. On the 27th, destroyers ANTELOPE and ANTHONY joined and on the 29th, destroyers JACKAL, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR. Destroyer JACKAL was detached later that day. On the 30th, destroyers SARDONYX and SCIMITAR were detached. On the 31st, destroyers ANTELOPE and ANTHONY seaplane carrier PEGASUS, anti-submarine trawler LADY MADELEINE were detached. On 1 February corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE were detached and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 February.

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Destroyer MONTGOMERY departed Scapa Flow at 0900 for Liverpool on completion of working up exercises.

The destroyer arrived at 1300/13th.

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Convoy OB.273 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyer AMBUSCADE, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, HOLLYHOCK, anti-submarine trawlers ANGLE, DANEMAN, LADY LILLIAN. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 16th.

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Convoy FN.382 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 14th.

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Convoy FS.386 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers VANITY and WESTMINSTER, and arrived at Southend on the 14th.

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Minelayer TEVIOTBANK, escorted by destroyer INTREPID, laid minefield BS.49, off the East Coast of England.

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British trawler STRATHRYE (212grt/总吨位) was sunk by a mine in 50-35N, 3-59.

The entire crew was rescued.

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British trawler OYAMA (340grt/总吨位) was lost to unknown cause in the North Atlantic.

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Norwegian steamer TIJUCA (5498grt/总吨位) was damaged by mining in 51-23N, 3-10.

The steamer arrived at Barry.

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Convoy BS.12C departed Port Sudan, escorted by light cruiser CALEDON and sloops FLAMINGO and HINDUSTAN. The escorts were detached on the 15th and the convoy arrived at Aden on the 16th.