Tuesday, 4 March

Operation CLAYMORE, a raid on the Lofotens, was carried out.

Submarine SUNFISH acted as a beacon for landing craft.

Destroyer SOMALI (Captain Caslon, D.6) remained at sea.

Landing ship QUEEN EMMA escorted by destroyers BEDOUIN and TARTAR proceeded to Svolvaer.

Landing ship PRINCESS BEATRIX escorted by destroyers ESKIMO and LEGION proceeded to Stamsund.

German steamers EILENAU (1404grt/总吨位), BERNHARD SCHULTE (1058grt/总吨位), and FELIX HEUMANN (2468grt/总吨位) were sunk by demolition charges near Solaer.

Destroyer TARTAR sank German steamers HAMBURG (5470grt/总吨位) and PASAJES (1996grt/总吨位).

German steamer GUMBRINNEN (1381grt/总吨位) was sunk by with demolition charges by the Army landing party.

Norwegian steamer MIRA (1152grt/总吨位) was sunk by destroyer BEDOUIN.

Norwegian fishing vessel MYRLAND (321grt/总吨位) joined the British force and proceeded to the Faroes, arriving on the 7th.

The destroyers and landing ships returned to Scapa Flow on the 6th at 1300 without damage. They returned with 314 Norwegian volunteers, 213 German prisoners, and twelve Quislings.

Battleships NELSON and KING GEORGE V, light cruisers EDINBURGH and NIGERIA, and destroyers INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ECLIPSE, MAORI, and PUNJABI arrived at Scapa Flow at 1400/6th.

At 2100/6th, troopships QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX with destroyer LEGION departed Scapa Flow for Greenock.

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Destroyer ARROW departed Scapa Flow at 0830 to meet steamer BEN MY CHREE off Aberdeen at 1630 and escort her to Thorshavn.

The ships arrived at Thorshavn on the 5th.

After this duty, destroyer ARROW arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1300/7th.

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Destroyer ELECTRA departed the Humber at 1030/completion of repairs. The destroyer proceeded to Aberdeen where she rendezvoused with steamer AMSTERDAM at 0600/5th.

Destroyer ELECTRA escorted the steamer to Lerwick. At 2000/6th, both ships departed to return to Aberdeen.

Destroyer ELECTRA arrived back at Scapa Flow after this duty at 1600/7th.

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Minelayer PLOVER laid minefield ZME.21 in the Irish Sea. The minelaying continued on the 6th with ZME.22, ZME.23 on the 14th, ZME.24 on the 20th, ZME.25/26th, and ZME.26 on the 30th laid by minelayer PLOVER

The series continued in April, completing on 21 April.

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British steamer ANONITY (303grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine at one and a half miles southeast of Skegness Pier.

Four crew were lost of a six man crew.

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British steamer RUTH II (321grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine two cables NNE of Bar Light Vessel.

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British trawler EAST COAST (192grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing off Fastnet.

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British steamer ANGLIAN COAST (594grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine two cables 75° from Bar Light Vessel.

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British pilot carrier LYNDIS KITWOOD (20grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine off Skegness.

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British cruisers ORION, AJAX, PERTH, and GLOUCESTER departed Suda Bay with troops for Piraeus.

The troops were disembarked at Piraeus on the 5th.

The cruisers then operate in the Aegean with four destroyers to cover other troop convoys.

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Convoy AN.17 of four steamers (British CITY OF NORWICH (6726grt/总吨位) and ARABISTAN (5874grt/总吨位), two others) departed Alexandria escorted destroyer HEREWARD and from Port Said escorted by destroyer STUART.

Anti-aircraft cruiser COVENTRY departed Alexandria on the 5th and joined the convoy at daylight on the 7th.

This convoy carried the first LUSTRE Force. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 8th.

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Convoy AN.16 of British steamer ALAVI (3566grt/总吨位) arrived at Piraeus during the forenoon with destroyer GREYHOUND.

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Convoy AS.16 of four British, fourteen Greek, and one other ship departed Pireaus escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA and destroyers GREYHOUND and HAVOCK.

Light cruisers AJAX and PERTH departed Piraeus to cover the passage of convoy AS.16 and then proceeded to Alexandria, via the west of Crete.

Convoy AS.16 arrived at Alexandria on the 7th. The Port Said units arrived on the 8th.

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British troopship ULSTER PRINCE (3791grt/总吨位), escorted by destroyer HOTSPUR, arrived at Suda Bay from Piraeus.

The troopship, after unloading stores and Fleet Air Arm personnel, embarked the ABSTENTION Commando Unit.

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Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta after an operation in the Gulf of Hammamet.

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Light cruiser SHEFFIELD arrived at Gibraltar and was docked for repairs after convoy SL.65 duties.

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Norwegian tanker KETTY BROVIG (7031grt/总吨位), captured by German raider ATLANTIS on 2 February 1941, was sighted by an Australian cruiser seaplane.

The tanker scuttled herself when she was intercepted by cruiser CANBERRA.

German supply ship COBURG (7400grt/总吨位), company with the tanker, was pursued by the heavy cruiser's Walrus aircraft. The Walrus landed alongside the steamer. The British pilot boarded the steamer and some ship's papers were captured.

German ship COBURG scuttled herself at 8-40S, 61-25E before the heavy cruiser arrived on the scene.

New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER had departed heavy cruiser CANBERRA earlier on the 4th, but returned to assist in rescue of the survivors from the German ships.

Australian heavy cruiser CANBERRA and New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER arrived at Mauritius on the 8th with the crews of the German ships.

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Convoy BS.18 departed Suez, escorted by sloop CLIVE. Destroyer KINGSTON and sloop YARRA joined on the 8th. The convoy was dispersed on the 12th.

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Convoy BM.4 departed Karachi on the 4th with steamers TALMA (10,000grt/总吨位) and VARELA (4651grt/总吨位), escorted by armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR from 4 March to 12 March. Further units departed Bombay on the 8th with steamers EGRA (5108grt/总吨位), SANTHIA (7754grt/总吨位), EL MADINA (3962grt/总吨位), FELIX ROUSSEL (17, 083grt/总吨位), NEURALIA (9182grt/总吨位), RAJULA (8478grt/总吨位), and ROHNA (8602grt/总吨位) and joined the convoy.

Light cruiser EMERALD escorted the convoy from 12 to 15 March. Light cruiser DAUNTLESS escorted the convoy from 13 to 16 March. The armed merchant cruiser was detached on the 16th.

Steamers BAHADUR, JAPAYAMUNA, and JALADUTA departed Bombay on the 7th for Penang, independently, carrying lorries, petrol, ordnance, and stores. The convoy arrived at Penang on the 18th. All but TALMA departed on the 24th, escorted by armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR and light cruiser DURBAN. The convoy arrived at Singapore on the 26th.