Thursday, 3 April

Light cruiser NIGERIA joined convoy HG.57 at sea.

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Light cruiser DIDO departed Scapa Flow for anti-aircraft duties at Loch Ewe.

The cruiser departed on the 7th with convoy OG.58.

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Convoy OB.306 departed liverpool, escorted by destroyers ACHATES, BOADICEA, COLUMBIA, and ST FRANCIS, corvettes HEPATICA and WINDFLOWER, and anti-submarine trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. On the 4th, destroyer BROADWATER joined the escort was detached on the 7th. Destroyer NIAGARA joined on the 5th and was detached with destroyer COLUMBIA on the 8th. Destroyer BOADICEA was detached on the 6th. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 9th.

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Anti-aircraft ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0930 to meet convoy WN.8 in the Pentland Firth and escort it to Methil, where they arrived at 0800/4th.

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German tanker THORN (5436grt/总吨位), which had been involved in refuelling ADMIRAL HIPPER on her recent sortie, was sunk by submarine TIGRIS 100 miles southwest of St Nazaire.

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Submarine UNDAUNTED departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar where she arrived on the 13th.

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River mouth patrol boat BAHRAM (72grt, 2nd Hand J. N. Crawford) was sunk in mining in North Channel, Spurn.

Crawford and seven other ratings were lost. There was only one survivor.

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Mine destructor ship BUSHWOOD was damaged in a collision in Bristol Channel.

The ship was repaired at Cardiff from 29 April to 7 May.

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In attacks on Convoy SC.26.

U.73 badly damaged British steamer ATHENIC (5351grt/总吨位), which was straggling behind convoy SC.26 with damage, in 58-32N, 20-13. The entire crew was rescued.

The steamer sank on the 5th.

U.74 sank Belgian steamer INDIER (5409grt/总吨位) and Greek steamer LEONIDAS Z. CAMBANIS (4274grt/总吨位) in 58-12N, 27-40.

Forty two crew from the Belgian steamer were lost. Four survivors were landed at Liverpool. Two crew from the Greek steamer were lost.

U.73 sank British steamer WESTPOOL (5724grt/总吨位) in 58-12N, 27-40.

Thirty five crew were lost on the steamer.

Submarine U.73 attacked a second ship at the same time as steamer WESTPOOL.

U.73 sank British tanker BRITISH VISCOUNT (6895grt/总吨位) in 58-15N, 27-30.

Twenty eight crew were missing. Twenty were rescued from the tanker.

U.74 damaged Armed merchant cruiser WORCESTERSHIRE (11,402grt/总吨位) in 58N, 27.

U.69 sank Finnish steamer DAPHNE (1939grt/总吨位) in the North Atlantic, about 60N, 20.

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British steamer CAIRNIE (250grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing six to eight miles south by west of Tod Head. The entire crew were rescued.

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British steamer GREENAWN (784grt/总吨位) was lost to unknown cause in the North Sea, near Montrose.

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British steamer GEDDINGTON COURT (6903grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in 56-25N, 2-13.

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British steamer ASSUAN (499grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in 56-42N, 2-26.

The steamer was beached two miles east of Scurdy Ness. The steamer was refloated on the 4th and berthed at Montrose.

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Italian destroyer BATTISTI, en route to bombard Port Sudan, broke down and was scuttled by accompanying Italian destroyers.

Italian destroyers TIGRE, PANTERA, MANIN, and SAURO, in sight of Port Sudan, were attacked by Swordfish of 813 and 824 Squadron from Aircraft carrier EAGLE, based at Port Sudan.

Destroyers MANIN and SAURO were sunk in the air attacks ten miles off Port Sudan.

Destroyers TIGRE and PANTERA were damaged in air attacks and were sunk by destroyer KINGSTON.

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Italian submarine MICCA attacked two steamers in 34-10N, 25-24E without success.

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Convoy ANF.24 was attacked by German bombers off Kithera and munitions ship NORTHERN PRINCE (10,917grt/总吨位) was sunk in Antikithera Straits, in 35-34N, 23-23E.

The cargo she carried was so desperately needed in Greece that part of her cargo intended for Egypt was not unloaded prior to sailing. The entire crew was rescued.

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Destroyers JANUS and JAGUAR departed Alexandria for Port Said to guard against attack in the Red Sea from the Italian Massawa destroyers.

When word was received that two of the Italian destroyers were sunk by aircraft carrier EAGLE's aircraft, the destroyers were returned to Alexandria.

Destroyers GRIFFIN and GREYHOUND on patrol in the Straits of Jubal continued their duty until 4 April.

On the 4th, destroyers GREYHOUND and GRIFFIN and gunboats LADYBIRD and GNAT were ordered to return to Alexandria; all arriving on the 5th.

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While minesweeping, Minesweeper ABINGDON was damaged in a German dive bombing attack at Malta.

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Convoy HG.58 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop EGRET, corvettes ASPHODEL, AZALEA, COREOPSIS, and FLEUR DE LYS,Dutch submarine O.21, and anti-submarine trawler ARCTIC RANGER.

Corvette ASPHODEL was detached on the 5th for Freetown, corvette COREOPSIS on the 9th, corvettes AZALEA and FLEUR DE LYS on the 10th, and submarine O.21 on the 12th.

Destroyers CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, and WOLVERINE joined the convoy on the 16th. On the 18th, destroyer CHELSEA was detached, and arrived at Liverpool on the 20th with the sloop and the other three destroyers.

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New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER arrived at Colombo.

The cruiser departed the same day for Madras.