Wednesday, 11 June

The Fleet at Scapa Flow came to one hour's notice at 0430 on receipt of report of German heavy cruiser LUTZOW in the Skagerrak approaching the North Sea.

————_

Convoy OB.334 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvette POLYANTHUS and anti-submarine trawler AYRSHIRE. The convoy was joined on the 12th by destroyer BEAGLE and corvettes GLADOILUS, NIGELLA, and ORCHIS, catapult ship MAPLIN, minesweepers SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER, and anti-submarine trawlers LADY MADELEINE and ST LOMAN. The destroyer, the catapult ship, corvettes GLADIOLUS and NIGELLA, and the minesweepers were detached on the 17th. The convoy was joined on the 17th by destroyer BURNHAM and CHURCHILL, armed merchant cruiser AURANIA, and corvettes DIANTHUS and SPIKENARD. Destroyer CHESTERFIELD was with the convoy on the 19th. The armed merchant cruiser, destroyer BURNHAM, and corvettes DIANTHUS, ORCHIS, and SPIKENARD were detached on the 20th.Battleship REVENGE and armed merchant cruisers BULOLO and CALIFORNIA joined on the 20th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 25th.

————_

Sub Lt T P D'Donovan and Sub Lt H. Morris were killed when their Fulmar of 800 Squadron collided with a Martlet of 881 Squadron off Lee. The Martlet’s pilot, Lt J A Rooper was also killed.

————_

During night take off at Arbroath, Sub Lt (A) S.H.Bunch was killed when his Sea Hurricane hit a Swordfish, flown by sub Lt R P Cross. He was not injured.

————_

German heavy cruiser LUTZOW, light cruisers EMDEN and LEIPZIG, and destroyers LODY, Z.23, Z.24, ECKHOLDT, and GALSTER departed the Baltic.

On the 12th, light cruisers EMDEN and LEIPZIG were detached to Oslofjord.

Heavy cruiser LUTZOW and the five destroyers passed out of the Skagerrak.

The heavy cruiser was torpedoed by a British torpedo plane off Lindesnes on the 13th.

Destroyer ECKHOLDT took the heavy cruiser in tow and the other destroyers screened the withdrawal.

The heavy cruiser was able to proceed under her own power an hour later. The German ships returned to Germany.

Destroyer Z.24 was near missed by British bombing.

The heavy cruiser required at Kiel from 14 June to January 1942.

————_

Light cruiser MANCHESTER, escorted by destroyers INGLEFIELD and ICARUS, arrived in Iceland and sailed that day on patrol with destroyers INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, and ACHATES.

Destroyer ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow to join this force and arrived in Iceland at 1915/13th.

————_

Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord, arriving on the 13th.

————_

Destroyer HAMBLEDON departed Scapa Flow at 2100 to escort steamers AMSTERDAM and LADY OF MANN from Aberdeen. The ships were met at 0400/12th off Aberdeen and steamer AMSTERDAM was escorted to Lerwick where they arrived at 1600.Steamer LADY OF MANN was detached EN.route to Scapa Flow when off Duncansby Head.

Destroyer HAMBLEDON escorting steamer AMSTERDAM departed Lerwick at 0500/13th and met steamer LADY OF MANN from Scapa Flow off Duncansby Head. The two steamers were taken to Aberdeen. Destroyer HAMBLEDON arrived back at Scapa Flow after this duty at 2200/13th.

————_

Submarine H.32 grounded in the Clyde.

The submarine was repaired at Ardrossan.

————_

U.79 sank Norwegian steamer HAVTOR (1524grt/总吨位) in 63-63-35N, 28-05.

Six crewmen were lost on the steamer.

————_

British steamer BARON CARNEGIE (3178grt/总吨位) was badly damaged by German bombing in 51-55N, 5-34.

Nine crewmen were killed and sixteen crewmen were missing.

The steamer sank in tow of British steamer SEINE (1358grt/总吨位) in 52-04N, 5-01.

————_

British steamer MOORWOOD (2056grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing abeam 19 C Buoy, north of Whitby. The entire crew were rescued.

————_

British steamer WESTBURN (2842grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing three miles north of Skinningrove off Hartlepool.

The steamer arrived at Hartlepool on the 11th in tow.

————_

Destroyer NUBIAN was sailed from Alexandria to Port Said escorted by sloop AUCKLAND.

Destroyer NUBIAN arrived at Port Said on the 12th and was passed through the Canal.

Sloop AUCKLAND returned to Alexandria.

————_

A British Fulmar of 800X Squadron ditched off Delimara Point Malta returning from a patrol over Sicily. Petty Officer A.. Sabey and Lt J.S. Manning were rescued after dawn.

————_

A Buffalo of 805 Squadron flew into the ground at Dekheila. Sub Lt J.B. Musson RNVR, was killed.

————_

Submarine TAKU sank German steamer TILLY L. M. RUSS (1600grt/总吨位) on the 11th in Benghazi Harbour.

————_

A convoy of steamers SILVIO SCARONI (1367 tons, CADAMOSTO (1010grt/总吨位), and AOSTO (494grt/总吨位) departed Tripoli on the 9th for Benghazi, escorted by torpedo boats PALLADE and POLLUCE.

The next day, submarine TAKU sank Italian steamer SILVIO SCARONI 70 miles 283° from Benghazi in 32-27N, 18-42E.

The submarine was counterattacked by torpedo boats PALLADE and POLLUCE, and arrived at Benghazi on the 10th.

————_

Submarine TORBAY sank by ramming a caique, carrying German troops and stores, fifteen miles south of Mitylene.

————_

Convoy BA.3 departed Karachi, escorted by armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 20th.