Saturday, 1 March

Anti-aircraft ship CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1130 to cover convoy WN.91 from Pentland Firth. The convoy was attacked by German aircraft from 1935 and 2014.

Steamer FORTHBANK (5057grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in convoy WN.91 in 57-53N, 1-57. Four crew were lost. She arrived at Invergordon on the 3rd, and on 13th, left under tow for Leith. The steamer went ashore on the 15th, but was refloated and arrived at Leith on the 17th.

Steamer PENNINGTON COURT (6098grt/总吨位) in convoy WN.91 was also damaged by the German bombing, but was able to continue.

Tanker ATHELTEMPLAR (8949grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in convoy EN.79 in 57-04N, 1-50.

Destroyer ERIDGE departed Rosyth at 1800 for Scapa Flow and en route, was diverted to assist the damaged tanker. Burnt out, she arrived in tow of ERIDGE and minesweeper SPEEDWELL at Methil Roads on the 3rd. ERIDGE arrived at Scapa Flow for working up exercises on the 3rd.

CURACOA transferred to convoy EN.79 off Buchan Ness at 2300/1st to cover this convoy to Pentland Firth.

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Destroyer QUANTOCK departed Scapa Flow at 1800 to meet steamer BEN MY CHREE and escort her to Kirkwall.

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Minesweeping trawler ST DONATS (349grt, T/Skipper F. L. A. Atkinson RNR) was lost in a collision off the Humber with destroyer COTSWOLD, which had departed Rosyth on 28 February. The destroyer was repaired at Chatham from 4 to 31 March.

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U.552 sank tanker CADILLAC (12,062grt/总吨位) from convoy HX.109 in 59-44N, 11-16. Thirty three crew and two gunners were lost.

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Dutch tanker ROTULA (7981grt/总吨位) was badly damaged by German bombing in 52-15N, 5-33. Sixteen crew were killed and the wreck was sunk by a British trawler.

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Steamer EMPIRE SIMBA (5691grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in 52-21N, 5-23, and abandoned with engine room and stokehold flooded. She was towed to Liverpool on the 4th.

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Light cruiser ARETHUSA arrived at Gibraltar.

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Destroyer FIREDRAKE ran aground on the Spanish coast in the Mediterranean east of Gibraltar, in 36-28N, 4-45, and was under repair at Gibraltar from 1 March to 24 April. She was sent to Portsmouth for repairs, departed on 24 April and arrived at Portsmouth on 1 May. FIREDRAKE departed immediately for Chatham arriving on 2 May. Repairs were completed on 27 June.

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Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol.

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A supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed Naples with steamers AMSTERDAM (8673grt/总吨位), CASTELLON (2086grt/总吨位), RUHR (5954grt/总吨位), and MARITZA (2910grt/总吨位), escorted by torpedo boats CLIO, PEGASO, and ORIONE. The convoy arrived without event at Tripoli on the 3rd. The return convoy was steamers ALICANTE (2140grt/总吨位), ARCTURUS (2596grt/总吨位), WACHTFELS (8467grt/总吨位), and LEVERKUSEN (7386grt/总吨位) escorted by destroyer VIVALDI and torpedo boats PROCIONE, ORSA, and CALLIOPE which also passed uneventfully, arriving at Naples on the 3rd.

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Minesweeping drifter PLOUGHBOY was severely damaged by the explosion of three mines close aboard at Malta. One rating was missing and nine were wounded. The drifter was beached.

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Aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE, escorted by destroyers JUNO and GRIFFIN, had arrived at Suez on 23 February, but was unable to enter the Suez Canal due to mining. They were sent to Port Sudan to await reopening of the Canal. On 1 March, her aircraft, based ashore, attacked Massawa.

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Greek submarine PAPANICOLIS made an unsuccessful torpedo attack off Saseno.

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Italian submarine GUGLIEMOTTI departed Massawa on the 3rd, and with submarines ARCHIMEDE and GALILEO FERRARIS, which departed Massawa about the same time, refuelled from German tanker NORDMARK on 16 and 17 April. GUGLIEMOTTI was the first Italian submarine from Massawa to arrive at Bordeaux on 6 May after 64 days at sea.

Italian submarine PERLA departed Massawa during the night of 1/2 March, and refuelled from German raider ATLANTIS on the 29th. She was the last Italian submarine from Massawa to arrive, after 80 days at sea, on 20 May 1941.

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Heavy cruiser CORNWALL intercepted Vichy French steamer VILLE DE MAJUNGA (4972grt/总吨位) in 34-08S, 10-18E. The steamer was taken to Capetown.

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Convoy HX.112 departed Halifax, escorted by armed merchant cruiser RANPURA and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. The corvettes were detached later that day.

Convoy BHX.112 departed Bermuda on 27 February escorted by ocean escort armed merchant cruiser CALIFORNIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.112 on the 4th and the armed merchant cruiser was detached.

On 5 March, heavy cruiser NORFOLK joined the escort. The armed merchant cruiser and the heavy cruiser were detached on the 14th. Destroyers SARDONYX, SCMITAR, VANOC, VICEROY, and WALKER, corvette BLUEBELL, and anti-submarine trawler SYRINGA joined on the 15th. Destroyer VICEROY was detached later that day. On 16 March, destroyer VOLUNTEER joined. Corvette BLUEBELL and trawler SYRINGA were detached on the 18th and destroyers SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WALKER on the 19th. Destroyers VANOC and VOLUNTEER were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

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Convoy SL.67 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser CILICIA to 19 March, corvette ASPHODEL to 11 March, and anti-submarine trawlers KELT, SPANIARD, and TURCOMAN locally.

Due to German activity in the area, from 3 March battleship MALAYA to 10 March and destroyers FAULKNOR and FORESTER to 11 March escorted the convoy. Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL and battlecruiser RENOWN joined the convoy on the 10th and continued to 19 March.

Light cruiser KENYA escorted the convoy from 19 to 21 March.

Destroyers HAVELOCK to 24 March, HESPERUS, HURRICANE, MANSFIELD, and SALISBURY to 26 March, VERITY to 24 March, VETERAN to 25 March, and WOLSEY to 26 March, corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA to 26 March, and catapult ship PEGASUS to 26 March joined the convoy on the 21st.

On the 22nd, destroyers CHELSEA and DOUGLAS joined to 24 March. Corvette BEGONIA joined on the 23rd to 26 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

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US Support Force, Atlantic Fleet was formed:

Destroyer Tender PRAIRE (Flagship Rear Admiral A L Bristol Jr)

Destroyer Squadron 7 (Captain J L Kauffman) - PLUNKETT

Division 13 - NIBLACK (DD.13), BENSON, GLEAVES, MAYO

Division 14 - MADISON (DD.14), LANSDALE, HILARY P JONES, CHARLES F HUGHES

Destroyer Squadron 30 (Captain M Y Cohen) - DALLAS

Division 60 - ELLIS (DD60), BERNADOU, COLE, DUPONT

Division 61- GREER (DD.61), TARBELL, UPSHUR, LEA

Destroyer Squadron 31 (Captain D.Baker) - MACLEISH

Division 62 - BAINBRIDGE (DD62) OVERTON, STURTIVANT, REUBEN JAMES

Division 63 - MCCORMICK (DD.63), BROOME, SIMPSON, TRUXTON