Background Events - April-May 1940
Invasion of
Norway, Battles of Narvik, Blitzkrieg on Western
Europe, Dunkirk evacuation starts
1940
Wednesday, 1
May
Norwegian
hospital ship DRONNING MAUD (1488grt) was badly damaged by German bombing at
Gratangen.
There were twenty
casualties on the Norwegian ship.
Hospital ship
DRONNING MAUD was a total loss and was not salved.
_____
Submarine
NARWHAL at 0727 laid a minefield, designated FD.6, off Frederikstavn in
57-30N, 10-43E.
On
3 May, German auxiliary minesweeper M. 1102 (trawler H.A. W. MULLER, 460grt)
was slightly damaged on this minefield.
_____
Submarine
NARWHAL at 1825 attacked a German convoy,carrying the 2nd Gebirgsjager
Division, nine miles east of Skagen near Hertha, in 57-39N, 11-02. 5E.
Submarine
NARWHAL fired six torpedoes at a convoy of four merchant ships, German
steamers BUENAS AIRES (6097grt), BAHIA CASTILLO (8579grt), KRETA (2359grt),
WIEGAND (5869grt).
German
steamer BUENAS AIRES (6097grt) was sunk and German steamer BAHIA CASTILLO
(8579grt) was badly damaged losing her rudder and screws.
Sixty
men and two hundred and forty horses were lost and sixty four men wounded on
the steamer BUENAS AIRES. Ten men and twenty six horses were lost and twenty
three men wounded on the steamer BAHIA CASTILLO.
Steamer
BAHIA CASTILLO was towed to Frederickshavn and was later broken up.
_____
French
submarines CASABIANCA and SFAX arrived at Dundee from patrol.
_____
French
minelaying submarine RUBIS (Lieutenant de Vaisseau G. Cabanier) arrived at
Harwich for minelaying operations off the Norwegian coast.
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Destroyers
VETERAN, VISCOUNT, VANSITTART departed Scapa Flow at 0500 with French convoy
FS.3, consisting of British steamers MARGOT (4545grt) and SEPIA (6214grt),
British tanker BRITISH LORD (6098grt), British base ship MASHOBRA (8324grt),
French steamers ALBERTE LE BORGNE (3921grt), ENSEIGNE MAURICE PRECHAC
(4578grt), SAINTE CLARE (3824grt), VULCAIN (4362grt).
These
ships had been escorted to
Scapa Flow by Escort ships JASON and GLEANER and
anti-submarine trawlers. On arrival at
Scapa Flow on 28 April, the escorts returned
to the Clyde.
Off
Scapa
Flow,
these ships were joined by destroyers ISIS, IMOGEN, ILEX with British
steamers BELLEROPHON (9019grt) and LYCAON (7350grt) which had departed the
Clyde on 30 April.
When
the two groups rendezvoused, destroyers VETERAN and VISCOUNT took base ship
MASHOBRA to the
Clyde arriving on the 2nd. The convoy and its escorts arrived safely at
Harstad on the 6th.
French
steamer PAUL EMILE JAVARY (2471grt) of the convoy was damaged in a collision
on 28 April with British steamer PIZARRO (1367grt) sixteen miles east,
northeast of Stornoway. She was able to leave Scapa Flow on the 3rd and arrived at
Harstad on the 9th.
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Destroyers
ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID with mines for the Narvik area were ordered to return
to Immingham.
The
destroyers departed
Scapa Flow at 0540 and arrived at Immingham at 2030.
_____
French
destroyer FOUDROYANT arrived at
Greenock escorting French troopship
VILLE D'ALGER (10,172grt). She departed that day and arrived at Scapa Flow the next day.
_____
French
convoy FP.3 with French troopships VILLE D'ALGER (10,172grt), COLOMBIE
(13,391grt), CHENONCEAUX (14,825grt), MEXIQUE (12,220grt) and British
troopship MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt) departed the Clyde at 0700/1st carrying the
last contingent of the 1st Chasseurs Light Division, the French Legion Demi
Brigade, the Polish Brigade.
These
troopships were escorted by destroyers ATHERSTONE, WARWICK, French destroyers
EPERVIER and FOUDROYANT, Patrol vessels JASON and GLEANER of the 3rd
Anti-submarine Striking Force.
Destroyer
WHIRLWIND departed the
Clyde at 1300 and joined the convoy.
British
troopships EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, REINA DEL PACIFICO, LANCASTRIA,
DUCHESS OF ATHOLL and Polish troopships BATORY and SOBIESKI proceeded in
company in the convoy for
Scapa Flow. The escort vessels JASON and GLEANER escorted
this section into
Scapa Flow.
Destroyer
ATHERSTONE was detached for refuelling at Scapa Flow.
Troopship
VILLE D'ALGER took the place of French liner GENERAL METZINGER (9312grt)
which was damaged in
St George's Channel while en route to Greenock. British steamer MONARCH OF
BERMUDA replaced French liner PROVIDENCE (11996grt).
Destroyer
ECHO departed Rosyth at 0900/1st
and passed
May
Island at 0900. She arrived at
Scapa Flow at 0700/2nd escorting
British tanker BRITISH GOVERNOR (6840grt) from Aberdeen.
Destroyer
ECHO departed Scapa Flow at 1300/2nd to escort convoy
FP.3, but was recalled at 1351 to
Scapa Flow. At Scapa Flow, the destroyer went
alongside troopship ULSTER PRINCE and embarked the
Norwegian Naval Commander in Chief Admiral Deisan, three staff officers,
three Swedish officers for passage to Tromso. She then proceeded to join the
convoy.
Destroyers
AMAZON and BRAZEN departed
Scapa Flow at 0340/2nd to join the convoy.
Destroyer
ECHO joined the convoy escort on
the 4th.
Troopships
VILLE D'ALGER and MONARCH OF BERMUDA arrived at Harstad on the 5th and the
rest of the convoy safely arrived at Tromso on the 5th.
On
the 7th, escorted by destroyers BRAZEN and ECHO and French destroyer
EPERVIER, troopships CHENONCEAUX and COLOMBIE disembarked at Harstad and
MEXIQUE disembarked at Salangen and Balangen.
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Battleship
RESOLUTION and light cruisers EFFINGHAM (Commander in Chief Norway aboard)
and AURORA bombarded German positions in Ofotfjord in the
Ankenes area.
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Anti-aircraft
ship CURLEW arrived at
Scapa Flow.
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Destroyers
WOLVERINE and BRAZEN arrived at
Scapa Flow at 0525 with details on
board from the Namsos area.
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Anti-submarine
trawler NORTHERN PRIDE ran aground at Tjelsundet.
The
trawler was assisted by destroyer WALKER.
_____
Destroyer
JUNO from Scapa Flow arrived at Sullom Voe at
1800 to refuel.
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Destroyer
WANDERER searched for a German submarine reported by air at 1515 in 61‑20N,
00‑18E. She searched from 1744 to 2103 and then proceeded to Sullom Voe
to refuel.
Destroyer
WANDERER arrived at daylight at 0635/2nd. She embarked troops in destroyer
WALKER.
_____
Destroyer
KIMBERLEY departed Sullom Voe at 0915 after refuelling.
_____
British
operation BRICK 2, the evacuation of southern Norway which began on 30 April,
continued.
At
Romdalsfjord, anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA and sloop AUCKLAND were heavily attacked by
German bombers and both ships, almost out of ammunition, were withdrawn at
1600 from the Fjord.
That
night, a British force under Vice Admiral G. Layton, CB DSO, which departed
Scapa Flow at 1700 on 30 April, entered
the Romdalsfjord to embark troops with Light cruisers MANCHESTER (CS 18) and BIRMINGHAM, destroyers INGLEFIELD,
DIANA, DELIGHT. They joined anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA and sloop AUCKLAND already in the area.
As
cruisers MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM were too large the use the
pier, destroyers INGLEFIELD, DIANA, DELIGHT ferried the troops out into the
harbour for embarkation on the cruisers.
Destroyer
SOMALI embarked the PRIMROSE detachment at Aalesund.
Destroyer
DIANA embarked Norwegian General Ruge and took him, along with his staff, to
Tromso arriving at 1100/3rd.
Layton with light cruisers BIRMINGHAM and MANCHESTER and destroyers INGLEFIELD
and DELIGHT returned to
Scapa Flow at 0015/3rd sustaining no casualties in the
evacuation.
Destroyer
SOMALI arrived
Scapa Flow at 1630/2nd.
Anti-aircraft
ship CALCUTTA and destroyer MASHONA arrived at
Scapa Flow at 0730/3rd. CALCUTTA had forty one officers and
seven hundred and fifteen men evacuated from Aandalsnes. MASHONA carried one
officer and nine men, all wounded, the crew of trawler CAPE CHELYUSKIN.
Sloop
AUCKLAND arrived at
Scapa Flow at 1015/3rd.
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Aircraft
carrier GLORIOUS, escorted by destroyers ACHERON, ANTELOPE, BEAGLE, arrived
off Norway with new aircraft after having been withdrawn for refuelling and
aircraft on 27 April.
A
Skua from aircraft carrier GLORIOUS 803 Squadron was shot down in error by
British ships off Namsos. S/Lt G. W. Brokensha and Petty Officer S. E.
Andrews were picked up by destroyer NUBIAN.
_____
Destroyers
HYPERION and BEAGLE were detached from the aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL's
screen for refuelling at Sullom Voe.
_____
Destroyers
WITHERINGTON and WOLVERINE departed
Scapa Flow at 2107 with Polish
troopship CHROBRY (11,442grt) and British troopship ORION (23,456grt) to
Rosyth, arriving at 1130/2nd.
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In
Operation KLAXON 1 and 2, Namsos was to have been evacuated over two days,
but when word of a battalion of French troops having gotten away, the entire
operation was set to take place on the 1st.
The
British evacuating force arrived off the coast and found it fog covered.
Late
on the 1st, destroyer MAORI reached Kya Light off Namsenfjord and Vice
Admiral J. Cunningham sent destroyers KELLY, GRENADE, GRIFFIN, French BISON to join her.
As
the destroyers went up Namsenfjord in dense fog early on the 2nd, destroyer
MAORI was damaged by near misses of air bombs and sustained twenty three
casualties (five dying of wounds). Cdr G. N. Brewer, Lt Cdr (E) T. T.
Brandreth and Acting Gunner (T) S. C. White were among the wounded.
The
evacuation attempt was aborted at that time due to the German's knowledge of
their intentions and operation was rescheduled for the night of 2/3 May.
Destroyer
MAORI withdrew with her casualties.
Destroyer
MAORI was able to participate in evacuation the next night.
Destroyer
MAORI departed
Scapa Flow at 0001/6th. Off Sumburgh Head, she met destroyer
ECLIPSE, which departed Lerwick at 0420 with one operable engine, escorted
her to the Clyde.
Destroyer
ECLIPSE arrived at
Greenock at 1800/7th.
Destroyer
MAORI went on to
Bootle, near
Liverpool, where her repairs were completed on the 20th.
_____
S/Lt
H.G. Aitchison was killed when his Hornet Moth aircraft crashed at Golspie.
_____
Convoy
BC.36 of steamers
ATLANTIC COAST, BARON NAIRN (Commodore),
CAMEO, CITY OF
LANCASTER, DORSET COAST, MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escorted by destroyer
MONTROSE. The convoy arrived at
Loire on the 3rd.
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Convoy
SA.39 of one steamer arrived at St Malo from Southampton.
_____
Convoy FN.159 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer WOOLSTON and
armed patrol yacht
BREDA. The convoy arrived at the
Tyne on the 3rd.
_____
Convoy MT.62 departed Methil, escorted by sloops EGRET and WESTON.
The convoy arrived in the
Tyne later that day.
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Convoy FS.159 departed the
Tyne, escorted by destroyers VALOROUS and WALLACE.
The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.
_____
Convoy FS.160 departed the
Tyne, escorted by destroyer VALENTINE and sloop
WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.
_____
Destroyer
BOREAS arrived at
Dover from Chatham after refitting.
_____
Convoy
OG.28F was formed from convoys OA.138GF, which departed Southend on 28 April
escorted by sloop SCARBOROUGH, OB.138GF, which departed Liverpool on 28
April, escorted by destroyer VERSATILE, with forty five ships.
Sloop
SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy on the
1st and was then detached to convoy HG.28 F.
Sloop
FOLKESTONE and anti-submarine whaler WILLIAM SCORESBY escorted the convoy
from 1 to 6 May. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 6th.
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French
anti-submarine trawlers LA CANCALAISE (former British SAINT AMANDUS, 400grt),
LA NANTAISE (former British SAINT ARCADIUS, 399grt), LA L'LORIENTAISE (former
British SAINT ANDRONICUS, 398grt) departed Dover for Dunkirk.
Trawler
L'LORIENTAISE, damaged on 26 April, was under the tow of French tug BARFLEUR
(TUMULTE in some sources).
Near
Dyck Light Vessel shoal, trawler LA CANCALAISE struck a mine and sank.
Twelve
plus crew were lost on the French trawler.
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Convoy
OA.139 departed Southend escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS.
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Battleships
MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, French battleships LORRAINE, BRETAGNE,
PROVENCE,from Mer el Kebir, French cruisers TOURVILLE, DUQUESNE, DUGUAY
TROUIN escorted by destroyers DEFENDER and DECOY, Australian destroyers
STUART and VAMPIRE, six French destroyers, one French torpedo boat passed
Malta en route to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet.
Destroyers
VELOX and WATCHMAN, escorting the battleships, entered Malta, arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th.
Battleships
MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN,
Australian destroyers STUART and VAMPIRE, French battleships PROVENCE, LORRAINE, BRETAGNE, destroyers TIGRE, LYNX, FORBIN arrived at Alexandria at 1820/3rd.
Destroyer
FORBIN was a replacement for originally designated destroyer PANTHERE which
was under repair at
Toulon.
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Convoy
SL. 30 departed
Freetown escorted by armed merchant
cruiser CARNARVON CASTLE until 15 May. The convoy
arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.
_____
Australian
troop convoy US.3 departed Wellington with troopships AQUITANIA (45,647grt), EMPRESS OF
BRITAIN (42,348grt), EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt), escorted by Australian
heavy cruiser
AUSTRALIA and New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER.
Light
cruiser LEANDER had arrived at Wellington on 24 April in preparation
for this convoy duty.
Australian
light cruiser SYDNEY, en route to join this convoy on the 1st, was ordered to
Colombo, via
Sunda Strait and Singapore. The cruiser arrived at
Singapore on the 5th. After
refuelling, the cruiser departed Singapore later the same day and
arrived at Colombo on the 8th. She departed
Colombo on the 12th to meet convoy
US.3 in the area of the Coco Islands, but was recalled to Colombo to sail for the Mediterranean.
Troopship
ANDES (25,689grt) joined en route,
escorted by Australian heavy cruiser CANBERRA, all arrived safely off
Sydney on the 5th under the escort
of Australian heavy cruisers AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA and New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER.
At
Sydney, the convoy was joined by troopships MAURETANIA (35,738grt) and QUEEN
MARY (80,774grt), escorted by
Australian light cruiser PERTH, the next day off Melbourne by troopship
EMPRESS OF CANADA (21,517grt).
Light
cruiser PERTH was detached when the convoy
formed for ocean passage.
Convoy
US.3 was at Fremantle from 10 to 12 May when the convoy put back out to sea.
New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER was
detached on the 16th and proceeded on other duties. The light cruiser LEANDER
arrived at
Colombo on the 19th.
_____
Light
cruiser DAUNTLESS was refitting at
Hong Kong from this date to 4 June.
Thursday, 2 May
Anti-aircraft
cruiser COVENTRY departed Sheerness for
trials at Rosyth after refit.
The
trials were completed on the 7th. Anti-aircraft cruiser COVENTRY arrived at Sullom Voe on the
8th.
_____
Destroyer
WOLFHOUND completed her conversion to fast escort ship. She proceeded to
Portland for working up which was cut
short by the invasion of France and the Low Countries. On 14 May, she departed
Portland for Sheerness.
_____
At
0926, submarine TRIDENT fired two torpedoes at German steamer CLARE HUGO
STINNES I (5294grt) off Skorpa Island.
Submarine
TRIDENT fired seventy rounds from her deck gun at the German steamer which
ran herself aground in Bjoernefjord to prevent sinking.
Submarine
TRIDENT fired three torpedoes at the grounded German steamer, but all three
torpedoes exploded on the rocks.
The
German steamer was later salved. On 26 July, CLARE HUGO STINNES I was docked
at Bergen for repairs. The ship was ultimately lost on
27 September 1944 on a mine.
_____
Submarine
CLYDE departed Dundee for patrol off Fro Havet.
_____
Submarine
TAKU departed Rosyth on patrol.
_____
French
destroyers BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS arrived at Scapa Flow at 1245 with steamers
AMIENOIS and SAUMUR.
Both
destroyers departed at 2130 escorting French steamers AMIENOIS, SAUMUR, CAP BLANC to Greenock, arriving at 1800/4th.
_____
Destroyer
HEREWARD arrived at Sullom Voe for refuelling at 1240/2nd.
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Polish
destroyer BLYSKAWICA was damaged by German shore guns near Narvik. She
retired to Skelfjord for repairs.
_____
Late
on the 2nd at Mosjoen, destroyer JANUS landed 100 Chasseur Alpins and two
anti-aircraft guns embarked at Namsos. The landing was completed at 2350.
This
operation was attempted on the 1st, but was delayed due to heavy fog.
The
destroyer was then ordered to meet two Norwegian pulp ships from Salsbruket
and one Norwegian pulp ship from Lansless fifty miles off the coast and
escort them.
Destroyer
JANUS was unable to locate any of these merchant ships and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730/5th.
_____
Destroyer
WANDERER arrived at Sullom Voe at 0635 to refuel.
_____
Destroyer
WESTCOTT arrived at
Scapa Flow from Sullom Voe at 0800 with 350 troops on
board.
_____
Destroyer
HYPERION arrived at Sullom Voe for refuelling at 2215.
_____
Destroyer
ICARUS departed
Scapa Flow at 1200 to meet Danish steamer GUNVOR MAERSK en route
to Scapa
Flow.
Both
ships arrived at
Scapa Flow at 1800.
_____
Destroyer
JAGUAR departed Rosyth with British A. S. I. S. steamer CROMARTY FIRTH
(538grt) for Scapa Flow.
Destroyer
JAGUAR was returning to the Home Fleet after repairs.
_____
Late
on the 2nd, the British evacuated Namsos in Operation KLAXON.
Anti-aircraft
cruiser CARLISLE, which had joined the
evacuation force west of Namsos earlier in the day, stood off the town of
Namsos while the evacuation took
place.
The
two surviving trawlers at Namsos, ARAB and ANGLE, ferried troops to the
French armed merchant cruiser EL MANSOUR and heavy cruiser YORK in the harbour, while French
armed merchant cruisers EL D'JEZAIR and EL KANTARA berthed at the pier.
Destroyers
AFRIDI, NUBIAN, KELLY and French destroyers BISON and FOUDROYANT operated in
the Fjord.
Heavy
cruiser DEVONSHIRE, French light cruiser
MONTCALM, Destroyers GRENADE, GRIFFIN, HASTY, IMPERIAL remained at
sea off Namsenfjord.
Early
on the 3rd, British trawlers ST GORAN (565grt) of the 15th Anti-submarine
Striking Force and ASTON VILLA (546grt) and GAUL (550grt) of the 16th
Anti-submarine Striking Force, which had been badly damaged by German bombing
near Namsos on 30 April, were scuttled before the allied ships left.
The
British and French ships were able to lift 1850 British troops, 2345 French
troops, some Norwegian troops, thirty German prisoners from Namsos.
Destroyer
AFRIDI stayed behind to pick up a late arriving detachment when the other
ships left for the relative safety of the open sea.
The
evacuation was completed at 0445/3rd.
Destroyer
AFRIDI caught up with the allied force as the Germans launched heavy air
attacks on the force. Air attacks concentrated on heavy cruiser DEVONSHIRE and light cruiser MONTCALM.
French
destroyer BISON was hit by a German bomb which exploded her fore magazine and
blew off the fore part of the ship at 1010 in these attacks in 65‑42N,
07‑17E. Her survivors were taken off by destroyer GRENADE which went
alongside and destroyers IMPERIAL and AFRIDI which picked up men from the
water. AFRIDI had rescued sixty nine BISON survivors.
C.
V. Bouan, L. V. Merlin, one hundred ratings were lost in destroyer BISON.
Also killed on destroyer BISON was British Cdr R. R. Graham DSO, which was an
observer.
Destroyer
AFRIDI scuttled destroyer BISON.
Destroyer
AFRIDI rejoined the Main Force after picking up BISON's survivors, but then
was hit herself at 1400 in further German bombing in 66‑14N, 5‑45E.
Destroyer
AFRIDI foundered forty six minutes after being hit.
Destroyers
GRIFFIN and IMPERIAL picked up her survivors.
Warrant
Telegraphist R. Mellor and forty eight of AFRIDI's ratings were lost with the
ship along with three of IMPERIAL's ratings, about 30 of BISON's crew,
thirteen military rearguard personnel evacuated from Namsos. Three AFRIDI
ratings died of wounds and thirty one ratings were wounded.
Light
cruiser SOUTHAMPTON and destroyer HYPERION, HEREWARD, BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow on the 3rd to support the
British force.
Destroyers
FURY, FORESIGHT, ANTELOPE, ACHERON also departed Scapa Flow at 2330/3rd to support the evacuation
force's return. The British and French ships arrived at Scapa Flow, without further damage,
late on 4 and early on the 5th.
Destroyers
IMPERIAL, GRIFFIN, GRENADE arrived at Sullom
Voe at 1700/4th to discharge wounded French and British sailors from
destroyers BISON and AFRIDI and the military rearguard from Namsos to French
hospital ship SPHINX.
The
destroyers departed Sullom Voe at 2130/4th and arrived Scapa Flow at 0730/5th. Passengers
embarked from
Norway were accommodated in
battleship RODNEY.
Heavy
cruiser YORK and destroyer NUBIAN arrived at
Scapa Flow at 2030/4th.
Destroyers
KELLY and HASTY and troopship EL MANSOUR arrived at Scapa Flow at 2130/4th.
Heavy
cruiser DEVONSHIRE, French light cruiser
MONTCALM, light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON, French troopships EL D'JEZAIR and EL
KANTARA, destroyers ACHERON, ANTELOPE, MAORI, FURY, FORESIGHT, HEREWARD
arrived at Scapa Flow at 0400/5th.
Wounded
arriving at Scapa Flow were embarked in British hospital ship
ISLE OF JERSEY.
Most
of the French troops, including some of the BISON survivors, were embarked on
French passenger ship PRESIDENT DOUMER (11,898grt), DJENNE (8790grt), FLANDRE
(8503grt), PROVIDENCE (11,996grt) which left the
Clyde on the 9th escorted by
French large destroyers
TARTU, MILAN, CHEVALIER PAUL and four
British torpedo boats to return to Brest, arriving on the 11th.
The
rest of the French troops, including the seriously wounded, were embarked on
French hospital ship SPHINX which departed Scapa Flow on the 25th escorted by
minesweeper HEBE. She arrived at Brest on the 27th.
_____
Minelaying
operation BS 1 was conducted in the
North Sea by minelayers TEVIOTBANK and
PRINCESS VICTORIA escorted by patrol sloops WIDGEON, PINTAIL, PUFFIN,
SHEARWATER.
_____
Light
cruisers GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth.
Light
cruisers GALATEA and ARETHUSA were transferred on the 3rd to the Nore Command
to be based at Sheerness. They departed Rosyth for Sheerness on the 7th.
_____
Destroyer
WILD SWAN was on North Goodwins patrol.
_____
Destroyer
KEITH covered the passage of the B. E. F. Boulogne leave boats.
_____
Destroyer
BOADICEA departed
Dover at 0600 for Chatham.
_____
Convoy FN.160 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer
WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the
Tyne on the 4th.
_____
During
the night of 1/2 May, French large destroyers INDOMPTABLE and MALIN were
anchored in the
Downs to land British liaison officers.
The
destroyers arrived at
Brest on the 4th.
_____
Light
cruisers ORION and NEPTUNE arrived at Malta from Gibraltar.
Light
cruiser ORION, with Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham taking passage on her and
Vice Admiral, destroyers aboard, departed on the 3rd and arrived at Alexandria on the 4th.
On
arrival at Alexandria, Admiral Cunningham hoisted
his flag on battleship
MALAYA.
Light
cruiser NEPTUNE departed Malta in the evening of 3 May,
arrived at Alexandria on the 5th.
Friday, 3 May
Large
French destroyers CHEVALIER PAUL, MILAN, TARTU (Cdr J. H.Ruck-Keene,
British liaison officer embarked) and destroyers SIKH and TARTAR departed
Scapa Flow for a raid into the Skagerrak to intercept two German
merchant ships escorted by two torpedo boats in 58‑45N, 04‑48E at
2200/3rd.
The
sortie was without contact and the ships returned undamaged at 0930/4th.
_____
Aircraft
carriers ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS, battleship VALIANT, heavy cruiser BERWICK,
destroyers FURY, ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, FEARLESS, ACHERON, ANTELOPE, FORTUNE,
KIMBERLEY arrived at 1030 at Scapa Flow after operations off Norway.
_____
Aircraft
carrier GLORIOUS departed
Scapa Flow at 1600 for the
Clyde escorted by destroyers
IVANHOE, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE.
Aircraft
carrier GLORIOUS and the destroyers arrived at Greenock at 1630/4th.
_____
Destroyer
BEAGLE arrived at
Scapa Flow at 0630.
_____
Destroyer
JACKAL arrived at Sullom Voe at 0800 to refuel and to change her asdic
oscillator.
Destroyer
JACKAL sailed at 1115/3rd.
_____
Destroyers
HYPERION and HEREWARD arrived at
Scapa Flow at 1330 from Sullom Voe.
_____
Polish
destroyer BURZA proceeded from Harstad to Skaalanfjord where she towed
landing craft with French Alpins to Gratangen. Completing this duty, she
returned to Harstad.
_____
Convoy
HK.1 departed Scapa Flow at 2100 escorted by destroyers WESTCOTT and
FOUDROYANT and sloop FLEETWOOD. Destroyer VOLUNTEER, whaler ULLSWATER
(560grt), trawler
WILLOW (574grt) joined during the
night.
The
convoy was composed of tankers BROOMDALE (8334grt) and BRITISH GOVERNOR
(6840grt) and steamers NARVA (1575grt), A. S. I. S. CROMARTY FIRTH (538grt),
EMILE JAVARY (2471grt), cable ship LASSO (930grt).
Convoy
HK.1 arrived at Harstad at 2200/9th.
_____
British
steamers BLACKHEATH (4637grt), DELIUS (6065grt), DALLINGTON COURT (6889grt), HARMATTAN
(4558grt), DROMORE CASTLE (5242grt), J. HOLt
(3815grt), CISCAR (1809grt), THISTLEFORD (4764grt) departed Scapa Flow at 1100 escorted by
destroyer BEAGLE and patrol vessels GLEANER and JASON.
Two
hours later, destroyer WALKER departed Scapa Flow with stragglers GUNVOR
MAERSK (1977grt) and RONAN (1489grt).
Destroyers
WALKER and BEAGLE escorted the
Bristol Channel contingent on from the Clyde.
The
destroyers after the escort went to
Liverpool for boiler clean, arriving
on the 6th.
_____
British
troopships ROYAL SCOTSMAN and ULSTER PRINCE departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to embark troops and stores
for Bodo and Mosjoen, respectively.
_____
Destroyer
BASILISK and sloop STORK were sent to intercept unknown ships reported fifty
miles south of Vestfjord.
_____
Old
Norwegian torpedo boats DRISTIG and DJERV were scuttled at Kvamsoy in
Sognefjord.
_____
British
Home Fleet destroyers HAVOCK, HEREWARD, HOSTILE, JANUS, KANDAHAR, HYPERION, KELLY, KIMBERLEY were ordered to escort duty
on the east coast.
The
force was later directed to the
Humber.
_____
Anti-submarine
trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE of 12th Anti-submarine Striking Force, ARGYLLSHIRE of
11th Anti-submarine Striking Force, STELLA CAPELLA and CAPE ARGONA of the 12th Anti-submarine
Group arrived at
Scapa Flow from Romdalsfjord.
These
trawlers departed for
Aberdeen at 2015/4th.
_____
Convoy
OA.141 departed Southend escorted by destroyer VESPER from 3 to 5 May and
destroyer VENETIA on the 5th.
_____
Convoy
OB.141 departed
Liverpool escorted by destroyer VANQUISHER from 3 to 6 May.
_____
Convoy
BC.35 of seven steamers, including steamers BARON KINNAIRD and DAVID
LIVINGSTONE (Commodore) departed
Loire escorted by destroyer MONTROSE.
The
destroyer MONTROSE was detached for anti-submarine operations on the 4th. The
convoy arrived in
Bristol Channel on the 5th.
_____
Convoy FN.161 departed Southend, escorted by sloops
GRIMSBY and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the
Tyne on the 5th.
_____
Convoy MT.63 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers VIVIEN and
VIMIERA. The convoy arrived later in the day.
_____
Convoy FS.161 departed the
Tyne, escorted by destroyers VIVIEN and VIMIERA. The
convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.
_____
Minesweeper
SPEEDWELL completed boiler cleaning at Dover.
_____
French
sloop ADMIRAL MOUCHEZ arrived at Dover to escort French submarines
PASTEUR and ORPHEE to
Cherbourg.
The
French ships departed
Dover at 1700.
_____
French
submarine MARSOUIN departed Casablanca, escorted by armed trawler
HERON. The submarine arrived at Bizerte on the 8th.
_____
German
armed merchant cruiser ATLANTIS sank British steamer SCIENTIST (6199grt) in
the South
Atlantic at 19‑55S, 04‑20E.
One
crewman from steamer SCIENTIST was killed and another later died on the
German merchant cruiser wounds.
Fifteen
crew were transferred to steamer DURMITOR on 26 October and they were later
interned in Italian Somaliland.
Twenty
seven crew and one passenger were transferred to the steamer TIRRANNA on the
2nd. One crewman and the passenger were lost when the steamer was sunk
returning to France.
_____
Australian
troop convoy US.2 arrived at Colombo en route to Egypt. On the 5th, the convoy put
to sea escorted by battleship RAMILLIES, French heavy cruiser SUFFREN, Heavy
cruiser KENT.
Convoy
US.2 was met off
Aden on the 12th by Australian
light cruiser HOBART and destroyers DECOY and DEFENDER, which departed Aden on the 10th, in the Red Sea by light cruiser LIVERPOOL and sloop SHOREHAM on the
13th.
On
17 May, convoy US.2 arrived at Suez escorted by battleship
RAMILLIES, French heavy cruiser SUFFREN, light cruiser LIVERPOOL, Destroyers DECOY and
DEFENDER. Battleship RAMILLIES went to Alexandria and went into drydock for
refit.
Heavy
cruiser SUFFREN and destroyers DECOY and DEFENDER joined the Mediterranean
Fleet for operations.
Light
cruiser LIVERPOOL patrolled in the Red Sea for two more weeks before
joining the Mediterranean Fleet.
_____
Repair
ship RESOURCE departed Malta escorted by Australian
destroyers VOYAGER, VENDETTA, WATERHEN.
On
the 5th, repair ship RESOURCE was turned over to Australian destroyers STUART
and VAMPIRE which escorted her on to Alexandria.
Saturday, 4 May
French
destroyers FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, L'ADRIOT carried out a sweep within twenty
miles of the Belgian and Dutch coast, as far north as Egmond.
No
contact was made.
_____
Battleship
RESOLUTION and light cruiser AURORA bombarded German positions in Beisfjord.
_____
Light
cruiser GLASGOW and destroyers JACKAL and JAVELIN arrived at Greenock at 1600 from Tromso.
_____
Destroyers
HERO and FOXHOUND departed
Greenock at 1300 with British tanker ATHELEMPRESS
(8941grt) for Scapa Flow where they arrived at 0800/6th.
_____
Polish
destroyer GROM and destroyer FAULKNOR were on patrol off Narvik bombarding
German positions when GROM was struck at 0828 on her torpedo tubes by a
German bomb.
Destroyer
GROM (Cdr A. Hulewicz ORP) was sunk in the explosion and her survivors were
picked up by light cruiser ENTERPRISE, which lowered boats to
rescue survivors at 0835, destroyers FAULKNOR and BEDOUIN. Light cruiser
AURORA picked up four survivors.
Polish
Lt (JG) A. Krakowski and fifty seven ratings were killed. The survivors were
transferred from destroyers FAULKNOR and BEDOUIN to Battleship RESOLUTION,
then to Polish destroyer BURZA.
The
Polish survivors were embarked on a hospital ship for the passage back to
England. They departed Harstad on
the 10th for the
Clyde.
_____
Aircraft
carrier ARK ROYAL (Vice Admiral Aircraft Carriers) departed Scapa Flow at 1620 after refuelling and
reprovisioning with anti-aircraft cruiser CURLEW, destroyers INGLEFIELD
(D.3), SIKH, MASHONA, TARTAR, JAGUAR, ENCOUNTER.
Aircraft
carrier ARK ROYAL arrived off
Northern Norway for operations on the 7th
and operated aircraft daily in support of allied operations. She refuelled at
Tromso on the 19th.
_____
Destroyers
DELIGHT, FEARLESS,
KIMBERLEY, FORTUNE departed Scapa Flow at 0600 with troopships
LANCASTRIA (16,243grt), BATORY (14,287grt), SOBIESKI (11,030grt), ULSTER
MONARCH (3791grt) for the
Clyde, where they arrived at 1230/5th.
_____
Sloop
AUCKLAND departed
Scapa Flow at 1700 for Rosyth where she
arrived at 0700/5th.
_____
Submarine
SEAL arrived off
Goteborg and Vinga in the Kattegat to lay mines in 57-33. 5N,
11-35. 5E. Shortly after completing the minelay at 0859, SEAL struck a mine
herself and was badly damaged.
In
this damaged state, SEAL was captured early on the 5th by two German Arado
seaplanes of the German Navy and was towed to Frederikshavn by German trawler
UJ 128 (trawler FRANKEN, 435grt) of the 12th Anti-submarine Flotilla.
Lt
Cdr R. P. Lonsdale, Lt T. B. J. D. Butler, Lt T. A. Beet, Lt (E) R. H.S.
Clark, S/Lt A. R. L. Henderson, S/Lt R. W. H.Boulnois, forty eight ratings
from submarine SEAL were taken prisoner.
One
rating was lost with the submarine and another rating died while prisoner of
war.
Preliminary
repairs were made to SEAL at Frederikshavn by 9 May and on the 10th, she left
under tow for
Kiel where she arrived on the
11th.
Submarine
SEAL was commissioned as German U.B on 30 November
1940.
Four
ships were lost on SEAL's FD.7 minefield.
On
4 May, Swedish fishing boat AIMY (200grt) was lost on this minefield.
The
entire crew of four of the fishing boat AIMY was lost.
On
the 6th, German steamer VOGESEN (4241grt) was sunk on the minefield.
On
28 May, Swedish steamer TORSTEN (1206grt) was sunk on this minefield four
miles south of Vinga.
Sixteen
crew were rescued from the Swedish steamer.
On
5 June, Danish steamer SKANDIA (1248grt) was lost in the minefield.
_____
At
0451, submarine
SEVERN off
Stavanger in 57-50N, 6-40E intercepted
Swedish steamer MONARK (1786grt) which had been seized by German forces at
Bergen on 9 April.
The
Swedish steamer had departed Stavanger on the 3rd.
After
removing the prize crew, which were crew from sunken light cruiser KONIGSBERG, SEVERN torpedoed and sank MONARK.
The
Norwegian crew was landed twenty five miles from Stavanger. The German prize crew was
taken prisoner and returned to England.
_____
French
destroyer VERDUN, with Rear Admiral Moreau
aboard, departed the
Clyde to return to
Brest.
_____
Submarine
TRIDENT departed Rosyth on patrol.
_____
British
steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN (3244grt), escorted by destroyer MOHAWK departed
Scapa Flow at 2150/1st. The steamer
landed 290 officers and men forty five miles north of Mosjoen. The landing
was completed at 0645/4th.
Destroyer
GRAFTON took stores, mail, et cetera from the steamer for Narvik.
This
was the first of five landings for Operations SCISSORS. There were four more
troop landings (the last the night of 13/14 May) at Mosjoen, Mo, Bodo.
Destroyer
MOHAWK and steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN arrived at Scapa Flow at 0900/6th.
_____
Tugs
BANDIT and BUCCANEER departed
Scapa Flow at 1740 for Skelfjord with
salvage eqiupment on board.
_____
British
steamers LOMBARDY (3379grt), MACGREGOR LAIRD (4015grt), EMPIRE ABILITY
(7603grt) escorted by destroyers HAVANT and ACASTA departed Narvik at
0600/4th. The convoy departed Vaagsfjord during the forenoon of 4 May and was
joined by anti-submarine whaler BUTTERMERE (560grt).
On
the 7th at 2030, destroyers ANTELOPE and ACHERON departed Scapa Flow to join. Destroyer ACASTA
was detached to
Scapa Flow and whaler BUTTERMERE to
Aberdeen. Both arrived at Scapa Flow on the 9th.
Destroyer
HAVANT arrived at
Scapa Flow at 1500/7th to refuel.
Steamers
LOMBARDY and MACGREGOR LAIRD were
taken on to
Newport.
Destroyer
ANTELOPE took steamer EMPIRE ABILITY to the Smalls and was relieved by
corvette CLARKIA. Destroyer ANTELOPE then returned to the Clyde.
_____
British
tanker INVERADER arrived at Invergordon at 1430 escorted by destroyers
CODRINGTON and ESCAPADE.
Destroyer
ESCAPADE went on to Rosyth to boiler clean.
Destroyer
CODRINGTON remained at Invergordon to escort the tanker back to Scapa Flow when loaded.
_____
British
tanker SAN TIBURCIO (5995grt), which departed
Scapa Flow earlier in the day escorted
by anti-submarine trawler LEICESTER CITY (422grt), at 1910 was sunk
on a mine laid by U.9 on 9 February four miles 330° from Tarbett Ness in
Moray Firth.
Destroyer
CODRINGTON (D.1) and a tug were sent to assist the tanker.
The
tanker broke in
two forty five minutes after the explosion.
The
entire crew were rescued by anti-submarine trawler LEICESTER CITY (422grt) and destroyer
CODRINGTON and motor anti-submarine boats searched for the submarine thought
responsible.
When
it was determined a submarine was not responsible, destroyer CODRINGTON
returned to Invergordon.
_____
Convoy
OA.142 departed Southend. No escort vessels were listed.
_____
Convoy
OB.142 departed
Liverpool escorted by destroyer WALPOLE from 4 to 7 May. The
convoy was dispersed on the 8th.
_____
Convoy FN.162 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers WALLACE and
VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the
Tyne on the 6th.
_____
Convoy FS.162 departed the
Tyne, escorted by destroyer WHITLEY and sloop EGRET.
The convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th.
_____
Convoy
HG.29F of forty seven ships departed Gibraltar. The convoy was escorted by
French sloop CHEVREUIL and auxiliary patrol vessel MERCEDITA from 4 to 10
May. The French ships arrived at Lorient on the 11th.
Destroyer
VIMY escorted the convoy from 10 to 13 May.
Destroyer
WINDSOR and corvette PERIWINKLE from convoy OG.29F escorted the convoy from
10 to 13 May. The convoy arrived at
Liverpool on the 13th.
_____
Convoy
HX.40 departed
Halifax at 0900 escorted by Canadian
destroyers SAGUENAY and
SKEENA, which ere detached on the 5th.
The
ocean escort was armed merchant cruiser ESPERANCE BAY.
The
Canadian destroyers arrived back at Halifax at 1345/5th.
The
armed merchant cruiser was detached on the 11th.
Sloop
ENCHANTRESS and corvette ARABIS escorted the convoy from 16 to 18 May. The
convoy arrived at
Liverpool on the 19th.
_____
Destroyer
BULLDOG departed Devonport at 1600 for the Clyde where she arrived at
1600/5th to join the Home Fleet.
_____
Destroyers
ICARUS, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE after escorting aircraft carrier GLORIOUS departed
Greenock at 2100 for Scapa Flow, arriving at 1900/5th.
_____
Destroyer
DIANA departed Skelfjord for
Scapa Flow with tanker ALDERSDALE (8402grt).
The
ships parted company at
Cape Wrath. The destroyer arrived at
Scapa Flow and the tanker arrived at
the Clyde at 1500/9th.
_____
Norwegian
steamers BLAAFJELD I (1146grt), PAN (1309grt), SEKSTANT (1626grt) were sunk
by German bombing near Namsos.
The
entire crews of steamers BLAAFJELD I and SEKSTANT were rescued.
_____
Norwegian
steamer AAFJORD (335grt) was sunk by German bombing at Breiviken.
_____
Destroyer
GARLAND in dock at
Malta was transferred to the
Polish Navy to offset the loss of Polish destroyer WICHER in September 1939.
The original offer of the transfer was made to the Polish Navy on 6 February.
On
the 16th, GARLAND (Cdr A. Doroszkowski) departed Malta for Alexandria to join the Mediterranean
Fleet. The destroyer arrived at Alexandria on the 18th.
Sunday, 5 May
Heavy
cruiser BERWICK departed
Scapa Flow at 1630 for the
Clyde.
_____
Damaged
Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK, troopships EL KANTARA (5079grt), EL D'JEZAIR
(5818grt), EL MANSOUR (5818grt), DJENNE (8790grt), PRESIDENT DOUMER
(11,898grt), DUCHESS OF ATHOLL (20,119grt), REINA DEL PACIFICO (17,707grt),
escorted by destroyers KELLY (D.5), TARTU, GRIFFIN, GRENADE, IMPERIAL,
CHEVALIER PAUL, MILAN departed Scapa Flow at 1800 for the Clyde, arriving on
the 6th.
_____
Destroyer
FAULKNOR operating in Rombaksfjord near Straumein Point struck a submerged
wreck.
Destroyer
FAULKNOR sustained damage to her anti-submarine dome and the directing gear.
She left with a convoy on the 7th to return to England for repairs.
_____
Destroyers
VETERAN, VISCOUNT, FIREDRAKE departed the Clyde at 0900 with British
troopships ULSTER PRINCE (3791grt) for Mosjoen
and ROYAL SCOTSMAN (3244grt) for Bodo.
Destroyers
NUBIAN and JUNO departed
Scapa Flow at 0400 on 6 June to relieve
destroyers VISCOUNT at 1030.
Destroyer
VISCOUNT arrived at
Scapa Flow at 1400/6th.
The
Mosjoen and Bodo groups parted company at 1540/8th.
Destroyers
JUNO and VETERAN with ULSTER PRINCE proceeded to Mosjoen
and destroyers NUBIAN and FIREDRAKE with ROYAL SCOTSMAN proceeded to Bodo.
_____
British
tanker WAR NIZAM, escorted by anti-submarine trawlers WHITETHORN and LE TIGER
departed Scapa Flow for Sullom Voe.
_____
British
motor torpedo boats
MTB.22,
MTB.24, MTB.25 arrived at Dover from Portsmouth.
_____
Submarine
NARWHAL arrived in the
Humber after patrol.
_____
Submarine
TRITON arrived at Rosyth after patrol.
_____
After
a German cruiser was reported sighted off Nordeney and a large merchant ship
in Nordeney Harbour, all the Nore motor torpedo
boats and patrol sloops were brought to one half hour's notice.
Submarine
patrols off the Dutch coast were reinforced.
_____
British
auxiliary minelayer
HAMPTON laid mines in minefield DML
9 in 51-01N, 2-16E escorted by destroyers KEITH, BOREAS, BRILLIANT, VERITY.
An
extension of minefield DML 9 was cancelled on the 10th.
_____
Convoy
OG.28 was formed from convoys OA.140G, which departed Southend on the 2nd
escorted by destroyer
WHITEHALL, OB.140G, which departed
Liverpool on the 2nd escorted by sloop
ROCHESTER, with forty four ships.
Sloop
ROCHESTER and destroyer
WHITEHALL escorted the convoy from 5
May and then were detached to convoy HG.28.
French
destroyer JAGUAR escorted the convoy from 5 to 10 May and French patrol
vessel MINERVE joined near
Gibraltar. The convoy arrived at
Gibraltar on the 10th.
_____
Convoy FN.163 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer VALENTINE and sloop
WESTON. The convoy arrived at the
Tyne on the 7th.
_____
Convoy MT.64 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer WOLSEY, sloop
WESTON, armed patrol yacht
BREDA. The convoy arrived in the
Tyne later that day.
_____
Convoy FS.163 departed the
Tyne, escorted by destroyer WOLSEY, sloop WESTON,
armed patrol yacht
BREDA.
Early on the 6th, destroyer WOLSEY was detached to proceed
independently to Devonport. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.
_____
Destroyers
KEPPEL and VORTIGERN departed
Gibraltar to meet arriving battleship
WARSPITE, escorted by destroyers DOUGLAS and WRESTLER. Destroyer VELOX later
departed the joined destroyers KEPPEL and VORTIGERN.
Destroyers
DOUGLAS and WRESTLER were relieved in the vicinty of Alboran Island and arrived at Gibraltar on the 6th.
On
the 11th, destroyers KEPPEL, VELOX, VORTIGERN arrived at Gibraltar from Malta after this escort duty.
_____
River
gunboat COCKCHAFER lost a propeller after a fracture of her port propeller
shaft.
The
gunboat was towed to
Basra by Indian sloop HINDUSTAN.
Monday, 6 May
Light
cruiser ENTERPRISE was near missed by German
bombing at Narvik.
The
ship sustained splinter damage. Cdr M. F. L. Henstock was wounded.
_____
Light
cruiser SOUTHAMPTON departed
Scapa Flow at 2240 for Rosyth.
_____
Anti-aircraft
ship CALCUTTA departed
Scapa Flow at 1941 for the Narvik area.
_____
Destroyers
WOLVERINE and WITHERINGTON arrived at Scapa Flow at 1430 with British boom
defense vessel
META (1578grt) from Leith.
_____
Convoy
NS.2 departed the
Clyde at 0230 for Narvik. It was composed of base
ship MASHOBRA and British steamers BALZAC (5372grt),
CALUMET (7268grt), COXWOLD (1124grt)
escorted by destroyers JAVELIN and JACKAL and French destroyers BRESTOIS and
BOULONNAIS.
On
the 7th at 0230, steamers BALZAC and COXWOLD ran aground south of Neist Light
in Little
Minch.
Steamer
BALZAC was escorted by destroyer BRESTOIS to Stornoway, arriving at 1330.
Destroyer BRESTOIS continued on to
Scapa Flow.
Destroyer
BRESTOIS made an attack on a submarine contact at 0130/8th in 58-43N, 03-50W.
Later considered non sub.
Steamer
COXWOLD was taken by BOULONNAIS and BRESTOIS to Scapa Flow, arriving 0630/8th after
being delayed by fog in
Pentland Firth.
Destroyers
WITHERINGTON and WOLVERINE departed Scapa Flow at 0500/7th with steamer META (1578grt) to rendezvous with
the convoy at 1500/7th.
On
joining, destroyer WITHERINGTON was sent to Stornoway to provide
anti-submarine protection for steamer BALZAC. She was later relieved by
anti-submarine trawler ST CATHAN (565grt).
Destroyer
WITHERINGTON arrived at
Scapa Flow at 1300/9th.
The
fuel stores on COXWOLD were embarked on British steamer ULSTER MONARCH
(3791grt) which departed
Scapa Flow at 2130/10th unescorted for Narvik.
On
the convoy's arrival in the Narvik area, destroyers JAVELIN and JACKAL were
ordered to return to
Scapa Flow immediately.
Destroyers
JAVELIN and JACKAL departed Tjelandet at 0700/11th.
_____
Destroyer
ESCAPADE departed Rosyth at 0900 for Invergordon to escort British tanker
INVERADER to Scapa Flow.
The
ships departed Invergordon at 2030/7th and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0700/8th.
Destroyer
ESCAPADE went on to
Liverpool for repairs. She arrived at 0740/9th.
_____
Destroyer
CODRINGTON (D.1) departed Invergordon with British tanker WAR BHARATA for
Scapa Flow arriving at 1700.
_____
Destroyers
ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID arrived
Scapa Flow with mines for operation DZ,
a minelay in Norwegian waters.
However,
this operation was later cancelled.
_____
Destroyers
HERO and FOXHOUND departed
Scapa Flow at 1230 for boiler cleaning at Rosyth.
_____
Destroyers
IVANHOE, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE departed
Scapa Flow at 2130 for Immingham to
boiler clean and embark mines.
_____
At
1400, submarine SEALION attacked escorted German transports MOLTKEFELS
(7863grt) and NEIDENFELS (7838grt) 19 miles 240° from Vaderobod Light in 58‑30N,
10‑30E.
The
submarine fired six torpedoes and claimed three hits, but no damage was done.
_____
Submarine
TRIAD of the 2nd Flotilla, SEAWOLF, SHARK, SNAPPER of the 3rd Submarine
Flotilla, STURGEON of the 6th Submarine Flotilla and French submarines
AMAZONE, ANTIOPE, CALYPSO, CIRCE, DORIS ORPHEE, SYBILLE, THETIS of the 10th
Submarine Flotilla began patrols in the southern North Sea and blockade of Texel in anticipation of the
German invasion of the
Low Countries.
Submarine
TRIAD departed Rosyth on patrol on the 6th, SEAWOLF departed Harwich on the
6th, SHARK departed Harwich on the 7th, STURGEON was already at sea having
departed Blyth on 30 April and continued patrol until returning on the 11th,
SNAPPER was also already at sea having departing Harwich on 28 April and
continued patrol until arriving back at Blyth on the 11th.
Submarine
ANTIOPE was already at sea having departed Harwich on 28 April and arrived
back on the 8th, CALYPSO, which had departed Harwich on 29 April to relieve
AMAZON off Texel, arrived back for refuelling on the 11th, CIRCE arrived at
Harwich with defects from patrol on the 6th and set off again on the 12th,
DORIS and AMAZONE departed Harwich on patrol on the 6th ORPHEE departed
Harwich on patrol on the 3rd, LA SIBYLLE already at sea having departed
Harwich on 27 April completed her patrol on the 8th when she arrived back at
Harwich, THETIS arrived at Harwich from patrol on the 7th and departed again
on patrol on the 10th.
Reassignments
on patrol areas were made on 10/11 May. French submarines THETIS and ANTIOPE
were moved to patrol areas off
Lowestoft and Yarmouth. French submarine AMAZONE
was moved to forty miles west off
Texel and French submarine
DORIS was ordered to a parallel
patrol line fifty miles west of Rotterdam. However, submarine DORIS had already been lost by
that time.
_____
Destroyer
WILD SWAN and minesweeper SKIPJACK began boiler cleaning at Dover.
Destroyer
WILD SWAN returned to service on the 9th.
_____
Convoy FN.164 departed Southend, escorted by destroyers VIVIEN and
VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at the
Tyne on the 8th.
_____
Convoy FS.164 departed the
Tyne, escorted by destroyer
WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at
Southend on the 8th.
_____
German
armed merchant cruiser WIDDER departed Kiel to operate in the Central Atlantic, via the Denmark Strait.
At
1525 armed merchant cruiser WIDDER was attacked by submarine SNAPPER, which
fired two torpedoes in the
North Sea in 55-35N, 07-16E. The German ship was not
damaged and her escorts of S.boats drove submarine SNAPPER off.
_____
British
steamer BRIGHTON (5359grt) was sunk on a mine
in 51‑03N, 02‑09E.
The
entire crew was saved.
_____
Minesweeping
trawler LOCH NAVER (278grt, Skipper G. R. Burwood RNR) of Minesweeping Group 22
was lost off Hartlepool in a collision with an unknown vessel.
The
survivors of the trawler were rescued by British yacht BREDA (1431grt).
_____
German
steamer BRAGE (5954grt) was sunk on a mine near Kiel Light Ship.
_____
French
netlayer GLADIATEUR arrived at Beirut to prepare the port for
wartime operations.
Tuesday, 7 May
Near
Narvik in 68-30N, 14-15E, light cruiser AURORA was damaged at 1641 by a
German bomb which landed forward of B-turret.
A
and B turrets were put out of action, but AURORA, required for operations
around Narvik, was not withdrawn from the area for repairs until 25 May when
she was relieved by light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON.
Four
Marines were killed and four Marines were wounded by the bomb.
Light
cruiser AURORA arrived at
Portsmouth on the 29th and was under
repair until 28 June.
Polish
destroyer BLYSKAWICA was damaged by splinters from near misses in the same
attack. Destroyer FAULKNOR was near missed but not damaged.
_____
Destroyers
FAULKNOR (D.8), AMAZON, IMOGEN, WHIRLWIND departed Bjervik at 1930 with
liners MONARCH OF BERMUDA 22,424grt), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt), VILLE
D'ALGER (10,172grt) for Scapa Flow arriving at 1400/9th, less destroyer
WHIRLWIND.
Destroyer
FAULKNOR departed
Scapa Flow at 0001/10th
Grimsby for repair at Grimsby of damage sustained on the
5th. She arrived at
Grimsby at 1645. Repairs were
completed on 13 June.
Destroyer
IMOGEN had been ordered to return to England for overdue repairs.
Destroyer
IMOGEN departed
Scapa Flow at 0745/15th for
Chatham for damage repairs. She
arrived at 1500/16th and the repairs were completed on 12 June.
_____
Polish
troopship CHROBRY (11,442grt) departed Leith at 2200 for Narvik escorted
by destroyers
KANDAHAR and HOSTILE.
The
destroyers were soon relieved by destroyers SOMALI (D.6) and ESCORT which
departed Scapa Flow at 1230/8th.
Destroyers
KANDAHAR and HOSTILE returned to Rosyth at high speed.
Troopship
CHROBRY and destroyers SOMALI and ESCORT arrived at Harstad at 1100/11th.
_____
British
troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN (3244grt) escorted by destroyer MATABELE departed
Scapa Flow at 1330 for Leith.
_____
Destroyers
GALLANT and BULLDOG departed
Greenock at 0800 to escort British troopship ALMANZORA
(15,551grt) to
Scapa Flow, arriving at 1100/8th.
_____
Minesweeper
SHARPSHOOTER arrived at
Scapa Flow from Scrabser with Vice Admiral Orkneys and
Shetlands embarked.
_____
Norwegian
destroyer DRAUG departed
Scapa Flow at 1800 for
Portsmouth.
_____
French
destroyer MISTRAL arrived in the
Clyde with French tanker
TARN (4500grt).
_____
Submarine
NARWHAL departed the
Humber on minelaying mission FD.10.
_____
British
paddle minesweeper QUEEN OF THANET sighted a periscope in 56‑07N, 02‑28W
in the Firth of Forth.
Anti-aircraft
cruiser COVENTRY, which was departing Rosyth,
was recalled. Destroyer VALENTINE and sloop WESTON attacked a contact 12
miles 072° from
May Island that day.
The
next day, VALENTINE and WESTON were relieved by anti-submarine trawlers
BRIMNESS (413grt) and THORNWICK BAY (437grt).
_____
Minelayers
TEVIOTBANK and PRINCESS VICTORIA escorted by patrol sloops WIDGEON, PUFFIN,
PINTAIL, SHEARWATER laid minefield BS 2 extending minefield LB.
Sloops
WIDGEON and PUFFIN were released from the escort after the minelay to escort
Danish trawlers found to
Yarmouth. The destination was changed
en route and they arrived in the
Humber.
After
the minelay, preparing for operation BS 3, minelayer PRINCESS VICTORIA burnt
out her main switchboard and was delayed.
_____
Convoy FN.165 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer WHITLEY and sloop
EGRET. The convoy arrived at the
Tyne on the 9th.
_____
Convoy MT.65 departed Methil, escorted by sloops
GRIMSBY and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the
Tyne later that day.
_____
Convoy FS.165 departed the
Tyne, escorted by sloops
GRIMSBY and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at
Southend on the 9th.
_____
Norwegian
steamer FOLDEN (316grt) was sunk by German bombing off Helgeland.
_____
Belgian
fishing vessel
SAINT PIERRE (15grt) was sunk by a mine
off Kwinte Bank.
_____
Convoy
HG.29 with forty five ships departed Gibraltar.
The
ocean escort was Sloops SANDWICH from 7 to 17 May and BIDEFORD from 7 to 10
May.
In
Home Waters, the convoy was escorted by British corvette CLARKIA from 15 to
17 May. The convoy arrived at
Liverpool on the 17th.
_____
French
submarines MEDUSE and AMPHITRITE departed Oran for Brest. They passed Gibraltar on the 8th and joined convoy
23 RS, escorted by sloop L'IMPETEUSE.
On
arrival at Brest, both submarines began
refitting.
