Friday, 10 October

Heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE was detached from convoy QP.1 at 1900 for Scapa Flow, where she arrived at 0015/11th.

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Light cruisers KENYA and SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde where they arrived on the 11th.

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Convoy ON.25 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyer DOUGLAS. The convoy was joined on the 11th by destroyers SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA, and VERONICA, and anti-submarine trawlers ST ZENO and VIZALMA. The trawlers were detached on the 13th and the corvettes on the 15th. The destroyers were detached on the 16th when relieved by corvettes ALGOMA, CHAMBLY, MATAPEDIA, NAPANEE, ORILLIA, and PICTOU. Corvette PICTOU was detached later that day. On the 19th, destroyer OTTAWA joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 24th.

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Sloop LOWESTOFT departed Harwich at 1200 for Scapa Flow to work up after repairs.

The sloop arrived at Scapa Flow at 1300/12th.

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U.126 sank British steamer NAILSEA MANOR (4926grt/总吨位) at 18-45N, 21-18. The entire crew were rescued.

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British steamer KYMA (3959grt/总吨位) was sunk by mining in 53-53N, 0-21E. The entire crew was rescued.

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Faroes auxiliary fishing vessel FUGLOYGJIN (81grt/总吨位) was damaged by German bombing at Klaksvig.

The ship sank, but was later salved and returned to service.

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Battleships BARHAM and VALIANT, light cruisers AJAX and HOBART, and destroyers JERVIS, JAGUAR, JUPITER, KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, HASTY, HOTSPUR, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE departed Alexandria to sweep westward.

At 1800, the fleet turned back to the eastward.

Destroyer JERVIS attacked a submarine contact at 0730 in 31-14N, 29-14E. The destroyer remained searching for three hours before continuing.

The Battle Fleet returned to Alexandria at 1130/11th.

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Landing craft tanks A.2 (Sub Lt E. L. Clark RNVR), A 7 (Sub Lt A. C. Bromley RNVR), and A.18 (Sub Lt L. D. Peters RNVR), en route to Tobruk from Mersa Matruh, encountered U.331 at 0520 near Ashaila Rocks off Sidi Barrani.

U.331 slightly damaged Lighter A.18 in 31-10N, 26-42E. The lighter returned to Mersa Matruh, while the other two lighters continued to Tobruk. Sub Lt G. S. Sinclair RNR, the group navigator in A.18 was wounded.

The lighters registered some hits on the submarine with their pom poms, wounding two men in the forward gun crew, one later died of wounds, and damaging the conning tower.

Destroyers HERO, NIZAM, and KIPLING departed Alexandria to join the battle fleet.

Destroyers KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, JUPITER, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE were detached from the battle fleet at 1800 to sweep towards Bardia.

The destroyers returned to Alexandria at 1430/11th after an unsuccessful search.

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Italian steamer CITTA DI SIMI (DDD - 25grt?) was sunk by submarine THUNDERBOLT twelve miles from Cape Sidero, Crete, in 35-31N, 26-25E.

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Submarine TRUANT departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on the 16th.

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Ocean boarding vessel MARON departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol.

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Convoy HX.154 departed Halifax escorted by destroyer ANNAPOLIS and corvette AMHERST. The corvette was detached the next day. American destroyers CHARLES F. HUGHES, GLEAVES, LANSDALE, MADISON, and SIMPSON joined on the 12th. Destroyer ANNAPOLIS was detached on the 13th. The American group was relieved on the 19th by destroyers DOUGLAS, SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA and VERONICA, and anti-submarine trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST ZENO. Destroyers DOUGLAS and SKATE and the corvettes were detached on the 22nd. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

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American aircraft carrier YORKTOWN, battleship NEW MEXICO, heavy cruiser QUINCY, light cruiser SAVANNAH, and Destroyer Divisions 3 and 16 departed Argentia for Casco Bay.

Encountering heavy weather, YORKTOWN, NEW MEXICO, QUINCY, SAVANNAH, RHIND, HAMMANN, ANDERSON, SIMS, MAYRANT, ROWAN, HUGHES, and TRIPPE arrived at Casco Bay on the 13th. All thips suffered varying degrees of weather damage.