Monday, 11 August

HM King George VI, who had arrived at Scapa Flow, on the 9th, visited the destroyer depot ship TYNE during the forenoon and inspected representative contingents from the Home Fleet destroyers. He then visited destroyers ECLIPSE and CHARLESTOWN berthed alongside.

The King inspected the Lyness Base and then embarked in destroyer INGLEFIELD at 1230 for transport to Scrabster, escorted by destroyers TARTAR and PUNJABI. Destroyer ICARUS departed Scapa Flow at 1340 and proceeded to Scrabser to provide passage back to Scapa Flow for the Captain of the Fleet.

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Destroyers TARTAR, PUNJABI, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow at 1530 for Hvalfjord, arriving at 2100/12th.

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Destroyer ECHO departed Scapa Flow at 0600 for Sheerness for refitting, and arrived at 1630/13th.

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Convoy ON.6 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvette ARABIS. Anti-submarine trawler NORTHERN SPRAYThe convoy was joined on the 13th by destroyers MALCOLM, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, corvettes VERBENA and VIOLET, and anti-submarine trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and NORTHERN WAVE. Destroyers MALCOLM and WATCHMAN and corvette VERBENA were detached on the 15th, destroyer SCIMITAR and anti-submarine trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and NORTHERN WAVE on the 16th, and corvettes ARABIS and VIOLET and anti-submarine trawler NORTHERN SPRAY on the 17th. On the 17th, destroyers CHESTERFIELD and RIPLEY, armed merchant cruiser AUSONIA, and corvettes HEPATICA, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined and escorted the convoy until it was dispersed on the 24th.

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Minelayer PORT QUEBEC, escorted by surveying ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.22 A in the Northern Barrage.

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Submarine TIGRIS departed Murmansk on patrol, and on the 17th, sank Norwegian coaster HAAKON JARL (1482grt/总吨位) in 70-58N, 26-48E.

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Steamer SIR RUSSELL (1548grt/总吨位) was sunk by a German S.49 of the 4th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla six cables 349° from No.10 Buoy. The entire crew was rescued.

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Italian submarine MARCONI attacked and claimed to have sunk sloop DEPTFORD, which had been detached from convoy OG.70 to join convoy HG.70 in 37-16N, 9-50. She was undamaged, and with corvette CONVOLVULUS carried out a search for the submarine.

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Steamer EMPIRE HURST (2852grt/总吨位), which had fallen astern of convoy HG.70, was being escorted by anti-submarine trawler LADY HOGARTH, when she was sunk by German bombing in 36-48N, 9-50. Twenty six crew were killed, and nine survivors rescued by the trawler.

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Netlayer PROTECTOR, on passage from Port Said to Alexandria, was badly damaged by an aerial torpedo in 31-42N, 32-04E at 1700. Destroyer HERO was sent from Alexandria to assist, and sloop FLAMINGO, corvette SALVIA, and trawlers from Port Said. SALVIA was able to take her in tow and they arrived at Port Said at 0600/12th.

She received temporary repairs at Suez, and on 25 November, departed in tow of British steamer EMPIRE KANGAROO (6219grt/总吨位).

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Destroyers JERVIS and KINGSTON departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh to act as a striking force, and arrived back at Alexandria on the 13th.

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Australian sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said, escorting motor transport ship KEVINBANK, for Famagusta in serial S.18 of the GUILLOTINE operation. They arrived on 13 July.

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Italian hospital ship CALIFORNIA (13,060grt/总吨位) at Syracuse was sunk by a Swordfish from the 830 Squadron from Malta.

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Destroyers FORESTER, FURY, DUNCAN, BOREAS, and WILD SWAN departed Gibraltar to sweep. BOREAS and WILD SWAN were then ordered to join convoy HG.70, while FORESTER, FURY, and DUNCAN arrived at Gibraltar late on the 11th.