Monday, 1 September

Heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE with destroyers SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI (Force L) arrived off Seidisfjord at 0500, but in heavy fog only PUNJABI was able to enter port, arriving at 1045. The others ships proceeded to rendezvous with Force M (heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE group) in 74N 8E. PUNJABI departed Seidisfjord at 1300 to rejoin Force L.

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Light cruiser NIGERIA, destroyers ICARUS, ANTELOPE, ANTHONY with liner EMPRESS OF CANADA arrived at Gronfjord from Archangel to embark Norwegians from Spitzbergen.

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Convoy ON.12 departed Liverpool 1 September, escorts:

joined

detached

1st

corvette HEARTSEASE, anti-submarine trawlers ANGLE, CAPE WARWICK, ST APOLLO.

2nd

anti-submarine trawler DANEMAN

4th

destroyers AMAZON, AMBUSCADE, BELMONT, BULLDOG, corvettes ACONIT, AUBRETIA, NIGELLA

AMBUSCADE

7th

destroyer BROADWAY, corvettes COBALT, POLYANTHUS

HEARTSEASE, ANGLE, CAPE WARWICK, ST APOLLO, DANEMAN, AMAZON, BELMONT, BULLDOG, ACONIT, AUBRETIA, NIGELLA

10th

destroyer RAMSEY, armed merchant cruiser WORCESTERSHIRE, corvettes BUTOUCHE, GALT

BROADWAY, COBALT, POLYANTHUS

14th

RAMSEY, WORCESTERSHIRE, BUTOUCHE, GALT

convoy dispersed 14 September

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British trawler HAZEL, Belgian trawler VAN OOST and tanker OLIGARCH arrived at Sveagruva, and departed on the 3rd. Following operations EGV One and Two, these ships, plus destroyer ESCAPADE arrived at Reykjavik on the 14th.

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Destroyer BEDOUIN arrived at Scapa Flow at 1830 after refitting.

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Destroyer ASHANTI was docked at Rosyth to correct a defect developed on passage to Scapa Flow.

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The United States Navy assumed patrol of the Denmark Strait with battleships IDAHO, MISSISSIPPI, NEW MEXICO (two of these were on patrol at a time), heavy cruisers WICHITA, TUSCALOOSA, and destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 2 - MORRIS (Flag), ANDERSON, HAMMANN, RUSSELL, SIMS, WALKE, CHARLES F HUGHES, O'BRIEN, MUSTIN and Destroyer Division 22, GWIN (Flag), GRAYSON, MEREDITH and MONSSEN.

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The flag of Commander in Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, was transferred to the battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, while Vice Admiral Commanding First Battle Squadron transferred to battleship BARHAM.

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Motor torpedo boats MTB.68 and MTB.215 arrived at Alexandria from Haifa, but both were out of action due to numerous serious defects. Trawler VULCAN, the MTB's depot ship, arrived at Alexandria on the 2nd.

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Submarine UPHOLDER arrived at Malta from patrol.

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An Italian convoy of steamers ANDREA GRITTI (6338grt/总吨位), RIALLTO (6099grt/总吨位), VETTOR PISANI (6339grt/总吨位), FRANCESCO BARBARO (6343grt/总吨位), SABASTIANO VENIER (6311grt/总吨位) departed Naples escorted by destroyers DA RECCO, DARDO, FOLGORE, and STRALE. At 0025/3rd, ANDREA GRITTI was sunk in an attack by nine British Swordfish of 830 Swordfish from Malta south, southeast of Cape Spartivento. In the same attack, FRANCESCO BARBARO was damaged by 830 Squadron Swordfish, but taken in tow by destroyer DARDO and escorted by destroyers ASCARI and LANCIERE to Messina. The remainder of the convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 4th.

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Submarine OTUS departed Malta with stores, mail and 15 passengers, and later that day, unsuccessfully attacked an armed merchant cruiser in 35-40N, 18-07E. She arrived at Alexandria on the 11th.