NAVAL EVENTS: Saturday, 9 September
British northern waters - the Admiralty received reports that exaggerated the capability of German bombers and decided that for the time being, Scapa Flow was too vulnerable to air attack.
Netlayer GUARDIAN departed Scapa Flow on the 9th to put down an anti-submarine net in Loch Ewe.
British east coast –destroyers made a number of depth charge attacks on contacts off Norfolk, starting with JERVIS and JUPITER at 1042, 40 miles west of Orfordness, JAVELIN and JERSEY at 1400, one mile west of Haisborough, JERSEY at 1453, 16 miles west of Cromer, and JUPITER 1510, 24 miles north of Cromer.
Convoy FN.2 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 10th.
Norwegian waters - two German steamers ran aground - CLARE HUGO STINNES I (5294grt) on Raftsund in the Lofotens, refloated on the 17th and BALDUR (5805grt) near Lister, later salved
North Sea –Dutch steamer MARK (1514grt) sank on a mine
Submarine URSULA on patrol in the Heligoland Bight 35 miles NW of Borkum Island in 53-52N, 06-05E fired four torpedoes at U.35 at 1912 and one more at 1933, but all missed. U.23, also in the area, reported being missed by three torpedoes at 1950 and U.21 reported sighting submarine URSULA.
German waters - U.22 arrived at Kiel. U.58 arrived at Kiel.
Baltic - Polish submarine ZBIK laid 20 mines NE of Heisternest, at 54-45N, 18-44E, one of which accounted for German minesweeper M.85.
Dover Straits - minelayer ADVENTURE and auxiliary minelayers HAMPTON and SHEPPERTON arrived at Dover for operations.
British Expeditionary Force - the first BEF convoy arrived in France and by 7 October, 161,000 men, 24,000 vehicles and 140,000 tons of stores had reached France. Troops and vehicles were convoyed from Southampton, tanks, guns, ammunition and stores from Newhaven and petrol from Poole and Fawley.
Among the British merchant ships involved were ACHILLES (11,404grt), BELLEROPHON (9019grt), EURYMEDON (6223grt), GLENEARN (8986grt). GLENSTRAE (9460grt), LYCAON (7350grt), MARON (6487grt), RHESUS (6530grt). Steamer GLOUCESTER CITY (3071grt) was among six fitted to carry ammunition.
Engish Channel - Destroyer KEITH attacked a submarine contact near Wolf Rock.
UK-out convoys - OA.2 sailed from Southend and destroyers JACKAL, JANUS, JUNO from Devonport on the 9th to escort the convoy, but JUNO returned on the 10th. JACKAL and JANUS joined up on the 11th, the convoy dispersed at 1600/12th in 49-30N, 12-30W and the destroyers returned to Devonport on the 13th.
OB.2 departed Liverpool on the 9th escorted by destroyers VANQUISHER, WALKER, WINCHELSEA, but WINCHELSEA was soon detached to escort convoy OB.3 on the 11th.
Southwestern Approaches - aircraft carrier COURAGEOUS with destroyers KEMPENFELT, ARDENT, ECHO left Plymouth for anti-submarine duties in the Western Approaches in Operation AS.2. At 1030/10th, COURAGEOUS’ aircraft attacked a submarine contact 280 miles W by S of Ushant and at 1250/10th made another attack 270 miles west of Ushant. During these operations, a Swordfish of 822 Squadron was unable to locate the carrier at the end of its patrol on the 10th and lost with its crew, Lt W A H Playfair, Sub Lt (A) H A Wheatman, Naval Airman 1/c F Frizzel. COURAGEOUS arrived at Milford Haven late on the10th, departed on the 11th and all ships arrived back at Plymouth on the 14th.
U.48 unsuccessfully attacked steamer JAMAICA PROGRESS SW of Ireland.
Mediterranean - destroyer GRENVILLE made a submarine contact at 0508, but was relieved by destroyers MOHAWK and SIKH so she could continue on to Malta.
Destroyer WISHART attacked on a submarine contact off Gibraltar.
Convoy Blue 1 departed Alexandria and Port Said with twenty ships, escorted by destroyers HARDY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO, HOSTILE and sloop ABERDEEN which all departed Port Said on the 9th. On reaching Gibraltar on the 19th, the convoy was redesignated HG.1 for passage to England.
Indian Ocean - destroyer STRONGHOLD had left Plymouth on 26 August for duty with the China Force. She then departed Malta on the 2nd, Suez on the 6th, and reached Aden on this date, the 9th. Arriving at Bombay on the 13th, she departed on the 15th, reached Colombo on the 17th, left the 18th and arrived at Singapore on the 23rd.
Light cruiser GLOUCESTER departed Mombasa on patrol and arrived back on the 15th.
Light cruiser MANCHESTER departed Colombo on patrol and arrived back on the 14th.
Chinese waters - heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE departed Shanghai and arrived at Hong Kong on the 18th.
Australian waters - Australian destroyer STUART on patrol off Terrigal in Broken Bay, north of Sydney, attacked a submarine contact which later proved to be rocks. On the 10th, she continued the hunt with destroyer WATERHEN, both of which had just completed recommissioning trials.
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