Tuesday, 5 August

Heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE, aircraft carrier VICTORIOUS, and destroyers INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, and ESCAPADE arrived at Seidisfjord. The ships departed the next day for Scapa Flow, where they arrived on the 7th.

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Heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE departed Hvalfjord to cover minelaying cruiser ADVENTURE's return from Archangel. After successfully escorting ADVENTURE, SHROPSHIRE arrived back at Hvalfjord on the 10th. ADVENTURE arrived at Loch Alsh on the 11th.

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French submarine MINERVE arrived at Scapa Flow from a submarine patrol off the Faroes.

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Convoy SL.81 was attacked on the 5th by U-boats. U.372 sank steamers BELGRAVIAN (3136grt/总吨位) in 53-03N, 16-54 and SWIFTPOOL (5205grt/总吨位) in 53-03N, 16-00. Two crew were lost from BELGRAVIAN, and forty two crew from SWIFTPOOL out of a crew of 49.

U.372 claimed to have damaged steamer VOLTURNO (3424grt/总吨位), but she was undamaged, and U.204 made a similar claim for another large steamer.

U.75 sank steamer HARLINGEN (5415grt/总吨位) and badly damaged CAPE RODNEY (4512grt/总吨位) in 53-26N, 15-40. Two crew were lost on HARLINGEN, but the entire crew of CAPE RODNEY was rescued. CAPE RODNEY was taken in tow for Rothesay Bay, but sank in tow on the 9th in 52-44N, 11-41.

U.74 made four attacks on the convoy (presumably and sank steamer KUMASIAN (4922grt/总吨位) in 53-26N, 15-40, with the loss of one crewman.

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Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, light cruiser NAIAD, and destroyer JERVIS, KINGSTON, HERO, and VENDETTA departed Alexandria for exercises. Battleship, cruiser, HERO and VENDETTA arrived back at Alexandria on the 6th. However, JERVIS and KINGSTON were detached for Mersa Matruh to intercept a reported enemy supply ship. No contact was made and they returned to Alexandria, arriving on the 7th.

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Australian light cruiser HOBART and destroyers KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, and KIPLING arrived at Port Said from Haifa. They sailed again later that day for Famagusta in Serial S.14 of the GUILLOTINE operation. They arrived on the 8th.

The light cruiser and the destroyers arrived back at Alexandria on the 6th.

Australian sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said, escorting motor ship GUJARAT to Famagusta in Serial S.12 of the GUILLOTINE operation. they arrived on the 7th.

Light cruiser NEPTUNE, minelaying cruiser ABDIEL, and destroyers JACKAL and KIPLING arrived at Port Said from Alexandria. KIPLING departed that day for Serial S.14 of the GUILLOTINE Operation.

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Greek destroyer KONDOURIOTIS departed Alexandria carrying torpedoes for Fleet Air Arm Squadron 815 at Famagusta, and arrived back at Alexandria on the 7th.

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Destroyers HERO and DECOY carried supplies to Tobruk.

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Cruiser minelayer MANXMAN and light cruiser ARETHUSA departed Gibraltar for Loch Alsh and the Clyde, respectively. ARETHUSA arrived in the Clyde on the 10th.

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Convoy SL.83 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruisers CATHAY and CITY OF DURBAN to 28 August, destroyer BRILLIANT to 11 August, sloop MILFORD to 9 August, and corvettes ANCHUSA, ASPHODEL, and CALENDULA to 8 August and LAVENDER to 7 August. The corvettes joined convoy OS.1 and escorted it to Freetown.

Sloop WELLINGTON to 28 August and escort vessels CULVER to 28 August and LANDGUARD to 23 July joined on the 8th.

On the 22nd, ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN joined to 28 August.

Destroyers CHELSEA and WOLVERINE joined on the 24th to 28 August.

The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

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Convoy HX.143 departed Halifax escorted by destroyers ANNAPOLIS and NIAGARA and armed merchant cruiser WOLFE. The destroyers were detached that night. Corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE joined on the 6th and were detached on the 7th. Destroyer BURNHAM and corvettes AGASSIZ, GALT, LEVIS, and MAYFLOWER joined on the 8th. The escorts were detached on the 17th when relieved by destroyers MALCOLM, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, corvettes ARABIS, VERBENA, and VIOLET, and anti-submarine trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN WAVE. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

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American heavy cruisers NORTHAMPTON and SALT LAKE CITY arrived at Brisbane, followed by Port Moresby on the 13th and Rabaul on the 16th on goodwill visits.