Thursday, 1 May

Heavy cruiser LONDON arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy SL.71.

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Destroyers BEDOUIN and ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow at 2345 to investigate a submarine contact reported in Preswick Bay.

No contact was made and the destroyers arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0800/2nd.

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Destroyer MAORI departed Scapa Flow at 1900 to join the Plymouth Command.

Destroyer SIKH departed at 2200/11th.

The 4th Destroyer Flotilla ships were replaced in the Home Fleet by the destroyers of the 20th Destroyer Flotilla.

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Destroyer IMPULSIVE, escorting steamer AMSTERDAM, departed Aberdeen for Lerwick at 0200 and arrived at 1520.

At 0035/3rd, the destroyer and steamer departed Lerwick for the return to Aberdeen. At 0500, steamer ARCHANGEL from Kirkwall join company off Duncansby Head. Off Aberdeen, the destroyer parted company and returned to Scapa Flow, arriving at 1830.

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Australian destroyer NESTOR departed Greenock at 1330 to rejoin the 7th Destroyer Flotilla operating with the Home Fleet, and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0900/2nd.

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P/T/Midshipman (A) J. A. David RNVR, was killed when his Albacore of 767 Squadron from Arbroath crashed near Glen Cova.

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Minesweeping trawler JEAN FREDERIC (329grt/总吨位) with a Dutch crew, and escorting a convoy, was sunk by German bombing off Start Point. T/Sub Lt R. G. Madders RNVR was lost.

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Balloon barrage vessel SATURNUS (200grt/总吨位) with a Dutch crew was declared a constructive total loss after damage.

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U.552 sank British steamer NERISSA (5583grt/总吨位) in 57-57N, 10-08.

Eighty three crew and one hundred and twenty four passengers were lost on the steamer. Twenty three crew and fifty one passengers were rescued.

Among the passengers lost were Lt Cdr R. A. F. Nicholl-Cadell Rtd, Paymaster Cdr F. R. . Nixon RCN, sub Lt B. Harvey RCN, and Sub Lt E. G. Robbins RCN, en route to Canada.

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U.103 sank British steamer SAMSO (1494grt/总吨位) at 8-35N, 16-17. One crewman was lost on the steamer.

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British steamer SEA FISHER (2950grt/总吨位) was damaged on a mine in 55-34N, 1-28.

The steamer was beached by tugs. She was refloated and arrived at Middlesborough on the 5th.

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Destroyer FAULKNOR with Dutch submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for exercises.

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Former Italian steamer POLINICE (1373grt/总吨位) under Control was sunk by German bombing at Malta.

The steamer was later salved.

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Anti-submarine trawler LOCH OSKAIG (534grt/总吨位) captured French steamer CAP CANTIN (3317grt/总吨位).

At 0430/2nd, Battlecruiser RENOWN and destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FURY, FORESTER, and FORTUNE departed Gibraltar to ensure the French would not attempt to recapture the steamer.

Destroyer FORESIGHT took over escort of the steamer and the anti-submarine trawler returned to patrol.

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Destroyers JAGUAR and JUNO attacked a submarine contact in 32-59N, 27-52E.

A premature explosion of a depth charge on destroyer JUNO killed Gunner (T) S. C. Parker, which died of wounds on the 2nd, and four ratings and eleven men were wounded.

The ship sustained minor damage only.

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Submarine TRUANT arrived at Malta from patrol. Owing to the danger from night minelaying, she was sailed at 2000 for Gibraltar.

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Sub Lt R. D. B. Hopkins, on loan to the RAF in a Beaufighter of 525 Squadron, was taken prisoner by the French after the aircraft crashed between Speval and Gibraltar.

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Italian light cruisers EUGENIO DI SAVOIA, DUCA D'AOSTA, and ATTENDOLO and destroyers PIGAFETTA, ZENO, DA MOSTO, DA VERAZZANO, DA RECCO, and PESSAGNO laid mines north of Tripoli.

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German steamer LARRISA (1819grt/总吨位) was sunk on a mine in the Gulf of Volos.

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Italian steamer SERDICA (1533grt/总吨位) was sunk by British bombing at Benghazi.

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When a direction finding bearing indicated an Italian submarine in 35-00N, 15-30, Corvettes FLEUR DE LYS, SPIRAE, and COREOPSIS departed Gibraltar to search.

On the 4th, the corvettes attacked a firm contact 110 miles 280° Cape Spartel.

Corvettes JONQUIL, GERANIUM, and AZALEA were ordered to join in the search.

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Ocean boarding vessel CAVINA captured Italian tanker SANGRO (6466grt/总吨位), which departed Teneriffe on 21 April for France, on the 1st in 44-36N, 30-20. The vessel turned the tanker over to Ocean boarding vessel CAMITO for the voyage to Gibraltar.

Corvettes HEATHER and ORCHIS were ordered to meet and escort the two ships to Gibraltar.

U.97 sank ocean boarding vessel CAMITO (6833grt, A/Cdr A. A. Barnet RNR) and the tanker on the 6th in 50-42N, 21-20.

A/Sub Lt (E) R. H. Barclay RNVR, Lt D. M. Brown RNR, T/Sub Lt C. B. Fisher RNVR, A/Sub Lt (E) R. H. Lewis RNVR, T/Sub Lt G. V. Townley RNR, T/Sub Lt (E) E. Williams RNR, and twenty two ratings were lost on the ocean boarding vessel.

CAMITO's prise crew on SANGRO and all but four of SANGRO's crew were lost.

Only two of CAMITO's ship's company were lost. The rest were picked up by corvette ORCHIS.

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Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN captured French three masted schooner MARTIN PECHEUR (350grt/总吨位).

The ship sank as a result of a fire on the 10th in 37-07N, 8-34. The prise crew made their way to Gibraltar in one of the ship's boats.