Friday, 14 March

Battleship NELSON, light cruiser NIGERIA, and destroyers BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow at 1903 to operate south of Iceland.

The ships rendezvoused at 0900/15th with destroyers COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI which were submarine hunting after escorting convoy OB.297.

The Tribal destroyers were sent to Reykjavik to refuel on the 16th. The destroyers sailed from Reykjavik at 2245/16th. They rejoined on the 17th at 0800 and destroyers BOADICEA, ACTIVE, and ESCAPADE were detached at 0900 to Reykjavik to refuel.

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Destroyer PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow at 1715 to escort British steamer WALMER CASTLE (906grt/总吨位) to the Firth of Forth.

After the escort, the destroyer proceeded to Rosyth for refitting, arriving at 1100/15th.

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Minesweeper FRANKLIN was damaged by four near misses from German bombing in the North Sea.

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Destroyers HOLDERNESS and VANESSA in convoy FS.35 drove off German S-boats attempting to attack the convoy.

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Naval drifter JEANNIE LEASK (95grt/总吨位) was mined in 51-44N, 1-07E.

The drifter was beached in Brightlingsea Harbour. She was bombed on the 25th. The drifter was refloated on 13 April and taken to Wivenhoe.

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Italian submarine EMO sank British steamer WESTERN CHIEF (5759grt/总吨位), which was straggling behind convoy SC.24, in 58-52N, 21-13.

Twenty two crew were lost on the steamer.

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British steamer HERPORT (2633grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine in 53-15N, 1-05E.

Four crew were lost on the steamer.

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British steamer STANLEIGH (1802grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing 12 miles 288° from Bar Light Vessel, Mersey.

Sixteen crew and the gunner were lost on the steamer.

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British steamer ARTEMISIA (6507grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing in 52-53N, 1-39E.

One crewman and one gunner were lost on the steamer.

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Tug MINEGARTH (179grt/总吨位), tanker SCOTTISH CHIEF (7006grt/总吨位), and steamer EMPIRE SIMBA (5691grt/总吨位) were damaged by German bombing at Liverpool.

Tanker SCOTTISH CHIEF was struck by a direct hit. She left Liverpool on 29 April for Manchester.

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Norwegian steamer TYR (4265grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing off the Humber Light Vessel.

The steamer arrived at Immingham on the 15th, assisted by tugs.

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British steam drifter PEACEFUL STAR (94grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing seventeen miles east, southeast of Rockabill Light House.

The entire crew was rescued.

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Finnish steamer RAINER (2609grt/总吨位) was sunk by a submarine between Emden and Cuxhaven.

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Convoy HG.56 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE and submarine OLYMPUS with destroyer VELOX and corvettes GERANIUM and VERBENA as local escorts, detached on the 16th.

Light cruiser KENYA was with the convoy on the 23rd.

The submarine was detached on the 26th to OG.56.

On 27 March, destroyers LEGION, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, WATCHMAN, and BURWELL, Polish destroyer PIORUN, sloop FLEETSTONE, corvettes ARABIS, MALLOW, and VIOLET, and convoy rescue ship ZAAFAREN joined the convoy.

French destroyer LEOPARD was also involved in the escort of the convoy in Home Waters.

Destroyer BURWELL was detached on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Liverpool with the remaining escort ships on 2 April.

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Convoy ANF.20 of five British and two other ships departed Alexandria late on the 14th escorted by destroyers STUART and HEREWARD and corvette SALVIA.

Anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA departed Alexandria on the 15th to join the convoy. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 17th.

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Convoy AS.19 of nine British, two Greek, and one other ship departed Piraeus escorted by destroyers HOTSPUR and WATERHEN and corvette HYACINTH. The convoy was dispersed at 1800/16th.

Destroyer HOTSPUR proceeded to Haifa.

Destroyer WATERHEN and the fast ships proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 17th.

Corvette HYACINTH and the slow ships proceeded to Port Said, arriving on the 19th.

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Australian destroyers VAMPIRE and VOYAGER were ordered to Alexandria from Piraeus and Force A, respectively.

The destroyers arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

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Submarine OLYMPUS departed Gibraltar was part of the escort for convoy HG.54.

The submarine returned to Gibraltar on 2 April in the convoy OG.54 escort.

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Italian hospital ship PO (7289grt/总吨位) was sunk at Valona by five Swordfish of 815 Squadron flying from Paramythia.

Italian steamer SANTA MARIA (3539grt/总吨位) was sunk also by 815 Squadron at Valona in this raid. The steamer was later salved and restored to duty.

Lt Cdr J. De F Jago, Lt J. A. Caldecott-Smith, and Leading Airman P. N. Beagley in the lead plane were shot down. They were picked up by an Italian MAS boat and made prisoners of war