Thursday, 4 September

Forces M and L rendezvoused for Operation STRENGTH.

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Destroyers BEDOUIN and VIVACIOUS departed Scapa Flow at 2100 to meet battleship KING GEORGE V at Oxcars Gate and provide escort for her to Scapa Flow on the 5th.

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Minelayer PORT QUEBEC, escorted by destroyer NEWARK, laid minefield SN.23 A.

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Destroyer RIPLEY ran aground off Flamborough Head.

The destroyer was towed off the same day. She received temporary repairs at Grimsby until 25 September and permanent repairs at Middlesbrough to 15 March.

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British steamer ABBAS COMBE (489grt/总吨位) was sunk by German bombing five miles north, northwest of Bardsey Island.

Four crew were missing on the steamer.

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Dutch steamer TON S. (466grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing in 52-58N, 4-55.

The steamer arrived at Newport on the 6th for drydocking.

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American destroyer GREER was cooperating with a British aircraft west, southwest of Iceland.

The aircraft dropped two depth charges at U.652 which took them to be from the destroyer.

The submarine fired a torpedo at destroyer GREER.

Destroyer WATCHMAN joined briefly at 1415 and was then detached.

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An Italian convoy of steamers SIRENA (974grt/总吨位), SPARVIERO (498grt/总吨位), and IMPERIA (222grt/总吨位), escorted by torpedo PALLADE and CENTAURO, departed Tripoli for Benghazi.

Torpedo boat PALLADE was detached on the 5th.

On the 7th, Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank steamer SIRENA fifty miles west of Benghazi.

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Australian destroyer VENDETTA arrived at Port Said for escort duties to Famagusta.

The destroyer escorting British steamer SALAMAUA arrived on the 6th. The destroyer then proceeded to Haifa.

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Destroyers KINGSTON and HASTY departed Beirut for Haifa.

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British steamer HARPALYCUS (5629grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing off Ashrafi Reef, Gulf of Suez.

British steamers CITY OF AUCKLAND (8336grt/总吨位), ROSS (4978grt/总吨位), and KING EDGAR (4536grt/总吨位) were also attacked, but were not damaged.

Steamer HARPALYCUS arrived at Suez on the 5th.

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Corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and AZALEA departed Gibraltar escorting tanker CORDELIA and steamer DEUCALIOIN westwards, then meeting tanker INVERLEE for inward escort.

The corvettes and tankers INVERLEE and BRITISH FREEDOM arrived at Gibraltar on the 13th.

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Anti-submarine trawlers LADY SHIRLEY and LADY HOGARTH departed Gibraltar to meet tanker NOREG for inward escort.

The trawlers arrived at Funchal on the 9th; LADY SHIRLEY under tow with condenser problems.

The tanker arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th, escorted by corvette JONQUIL.

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Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar from Atlantic patrol.

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Submarine UNBEATEN arrived at Malta from patrol in the Straits of Messina.

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Convoy SL.86 departed Freetown escorted by sloop EGRET to 24 September and corvettes ASTER and BURDOCK to 7 September. On the 7th, escort vessel BANFF joined to to 24 September and on the 8th, escort vessel FISHGUARD joined to 24 September.

Ocean boarding vessel HILARY joined on the 18th to 25 September.

Destroyers BROKE, CHELSEA, and MANSFIELD joined on the 22nd to 26 September. Destroyer VANSITTART escorted the convoy on the 24th only.

The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

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Convoy HX.148 departed Halifax, escorted by armed merchant cruiser ALAUNIA and corvettes LETHBRIDGE, SHEDIAC, and SHERBROOKE. The corvettes were relieved on7 September by destroyer RICHMOND and corvettes BITTERSWEET, CANDYTUFT, and FENNEL. Corvettes BITTERSWEET and CANDYTUFT were detached on the 10th and destroyer RICHMOND and corvette FENNEL on the 11th. On the 12th, destroyers MONTGOMERY, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, and WITCH, corvettes ABELIA, ANEMONE, and VERONICA, and anti-submarine trawler ST ZENO joined the escort. Destroyer BOADICEA joined on the 13th and destroyer WITCH was detached. Destroyers BEAGLE and SHIKARI joined on the 14th and destroyer MONTGOMERY was detached. On the 15th, destroyer BOADICEA, the armed merchant cruiser and corvette ANEMONE was detached. Destroyers BEAGLE and SABRE and corvettes ABELIA and VERONICA were detached. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 17th.