Sunday, 8 February

Heavy cruiser KENT arrived at Hvalfjord from patrol in the Denmark Strait.

————

Armed merchant cruisers CITY OF DURBAN and CAPE SABLE departed Scapa Flow with convoy WN.42 for Rosyth to boiler clean, arriving on the 9th.

————

Ex-Turkish destroyer MAUVENET (to be renamed INCONSTANT) departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow to work up, but was forced to return to the Clyde later that day with boiler defects.

————

Minelayers AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS departed Loch Alsh, escorted by destroyers LANCASTER, NEWARK, and ST MARYS. Light cruiser SHEFFIELD provided cover. The minefield was laid early on the 9th. The minelaying force arrived back at Loch Alsh later on the 9th and SHEFFIELD returned to the Iceland-Faroes patrol.

————

Minesweeper HUSSAR departed Hartlepool after refitting with convoy FN.425 for Methil and Scapa Flow. She arrived at Methil on the 9th and sailed later that day for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 10th.

————

Convoy ON.65 departed Liverpool. The convoy was joined on the 9th by destroyers KEPPEL, SHIKARI and corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and LOOSTRIFE. The escorts were detached on the 12th when the convoy was joined by American destroyers BUCK, DUPONT, HERBERT, MCCORMICK, and SWANSON. The convoy dispersed on the 19th.

————

U.108 sank steamer OCEAN VENTURE (7174grt/总吨位) in 37-05N, 74-46. Of a crew of 43 and two gunners, 29 crew and both gunners were lost.

————

Force H with battleship MALAYA, light cruiser HERMIONE, and destroyers LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, ACTIVE, ANTHONY, BLANKNEY, EXMOOR, and CROOME departed Gibraltar for the Clyde to provide additional protection for convoy WS.16. Aircraft carrier ARGUS remained at Gibraltar and disembarked her aircraft for operations in the Strait. Force H arrived in the Clyde on the 13th.

————

Light cruiser CLEOPATRA arrived at Gibraltar from the Clyde, and departed on the 9th for Malta, escorted by destroyer FORTUNE.

————

Escort destroyers HEYTHROP, HURWORTH and escort ship ANTWERP departed Alexandria with convoy AT.26 for Tobruk.

Escort destroyer FARNDALE and corvette GLOXINIA departed Alexandria with Greek steamer POPI (1594grt/总吨位) of convoy AT.27 for Tobruk.

————

Escort destroyer BEAUFORT arrived at Suez from the United Kingdom and passed through the Suez Canal to join the Mediterranean Fleet.

————

Submarine PROTEUS was involved in a collision with Italian torpedo boat SAGITTARIO in 38-43N, 20-24E. She was able to return to Alexandria on the 13th with only damage to her hydroplanes.

————

Submarine UPHOLDER sank Italian steamer SALPI (2710grt/总吨位) and damaged DUINO (1334grt/总吨位) off Cape San Vito.

————

Corvettes CROCUS and STARWORT, escorting Royal Fleet Auxiliary DEWDALE, arrived at Gibraltar from convoy SL.99.

————

Convoy HX.174 - departed Halifax on the 8th, escorts:

joined

detached

8th

corvettes Arrowhead, Galt, Saskatoon, Snowberry, minesweeper Mahone.

9th

American destroyers Babbitt, Badger, Plunkett, Schenck, Coast Guard cutter Campbell

Galt, Saskatoon, Mahone

10th

Arrowhead, Snowberry

16th

Schenck

17th

destroyers Keppel, Shikari, St Albans, corvettes Acanthus, Rose

Babbitt, Badger, Plunkett, Campbell

20th

Keppel, Rose

convoy arrived Liverpool on the 21st with Shikari, St Albans, Acanthus

————

Australian light cruiser HOBART and destroyer ELECTRA departed Tanjong Priok on the 7th and met convoy EMU of steamers DEVONSHIRE, CITY OF CANTERBURY, and FELIX ROUSSEL, escorted by light cruiser DANAE and sloops YARRA and SUTLEJ, which had departed Singapore on the 6th, south of Banka Strait.

DANAE and SUTLEJ took CITY OF CANTERBURY into Tanjong Priok, while HOBART ELECTRA took the other two ships through the Sunda Straits. On 9 February, the convoy was dispersed in the Indian Ocean and HOBART proceeded to escort convoy JS.1.

————

Submarine TRUANT arrived at Batavia.

————

Light cruiser ENTERPRISE departed Colombo for Rangoon with a force of 90 Royal Marines, and arrived on the 11th.

————

Sloop FALMOUTH, minelayer TEVIOT BANK, and oiler PEARLEAF departed Trincomalee for Colombo.

————

American troopships WEST POINT and WAKEFIELD departed Colombo for Bombay, escorted by Greek destroyer QUEEN OLGA.

————

Corvette HOLLYHOCK arrived at Durban. Corvettes ASTER and VERBENA departed Durban for Mauritius.

————

Light cruiser EMERALD arrived at Madras.

————

Aircraft carrier HERMES departed Mauritius for Colombo.

————

British troopship REINA DEL PACIFICO departed Colombo for Durban with evacuees.