Mack decided it was best to continue on to the east and at 0200 hours the destroyers sighted searchlights ahead and, steaming through a number of survivors, arrived on the scene of the battlefleet’s action and they then sighted the Italian cruiser At 2043 hours, when the destroyer striking force proceeded on its quest, the battlefleet was left with a screen of only four destroyers; At 2111 hours, Vice-Admiral Pridham-Whippell’s report of a ‘stopped ship’ came in. This was later changed to ‘fill up to maximum capacity’. At that time the convoy was only five nautical miles to the southward of the fleet. Of the seven destroyed AA fire accounted for four and feighters for three. At 0400 hours, the mean line of advance was changed to 220°. At dark the cruisers were detached to make a sweep to the north of the Fleet and Convoy ME 7 safely arrived at Alexandria at 0700 hours this day. Here aircraft were flown off in two waves, at 2000 and at 2100 hours. During the passage there were three air attacks on the force which had been joined by the destroyers At 1530 hours, three Ju.88’s carried out an unseen dive from astern.

The Fleet turned to the eastward for an hour before dark to take up a position well astern of The Tiger convoy and the Fleet continued eastwards. Two enemy aircraft were shot down and two more were probably destroyed. The searching aircraft returned at 0830 hours. 6 arrived safely at their destinations on 13 January. ‘Force A’ turned to the south-east in the wake of the ‘Excess convoy around 0830 hours. 219–220; Raven & Roberts, p. 359; Shores, Cull & Malizia, pp. Fighter protection became steadily more effective, and the enemy less enterprising.
At 1000 hours, when 33 nautical miles south-west of Malta, Group I encountered a small Spanish fishing vessel which was seen to proceed towards Palma de Majorca. Four days had now elapsed since the opening of the attack on Crete and in reply to a request from the Chiefs-of-Staff for an appreciation, the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, informed them that the scale of air attack now made it no longer possible for the Navy to operate in the Aegean or vicinity of Crete by day. Vice-Admiral Pridham-Whippell’s force rejoined the fleet at 0900 hours. The second striking force consisted of three Albacore’s and two Swordfish accompanied by two Fulmar’s. Mack with his eight destroyers then drew ahead making 28 knots with the intention of passing up the starboard side of the Meanwhile the cruiser force had been pressing on at 30 knots to the westward to get in touch and at 1832 hours had seen the aircraft from At 1907 the Vice-Admiral ordered his ships to spread on a line of 20° apart, seven nautical miles apart. Further to that Greek destroyers picked up 110 survivors on the 29th. On arrival of the force at Heraklion at 2330/28 the destroyers immediately entered harbour, embarked troops from the jetties and ferried them to the cruisers outside. At 2048 hours, course was altered to 310° and at 2115 hours to 300°.

(Around 0700 hours (zone -3) the Mediterranean Fleet departed Alexandria for these operations. Suda Bay made it clear that our line defending Suda had collapsed with great suddenness. At whatever cost to ourselves, we must land reinforcements for them and keep the enemy from using the sea.

Close escort was provided on leaving Halifax by the battleship Cover for the convoy was provided by the battlecruiser When the convoy approached the British isles, the destroyers After German warships had been reported in the North Sea, and concerned for the safety of convoy TC.1, Admiral Forbes, departed the Clyde on the 13th to provide additional cover with the battleships Nothing happened and the convoy arrived safely in the Clyde on 17 December 1939. On closing them they identified the enemy as four ships screened by six destroyers steering 320° at about 14 knots. HMS Barham (04) Background & History HMS Barham was a Queen Elizabeth class Battleship ordered before the outbreak of the first World War. On 1 December 1915, she collided with her sister ship Warspite, with both ships receiving significant damage. Le HMS Barham (Pennant number 04) était un cuirassé de classe Queen Elizabeth, appartenant à la Royal Navy, baptisé du nom de l'amiral Charles Middleton, 1 Baron Barham, construit aux chantiers navals John Brown & Company à Clydebank, en Écosse. The destroyers Further to the west, a bit to the south of Gavdos Island, was Capt. At 0100/23 ‘Force C’ parted company and proceeded for Alexandria. This force was made up of the following warships. ‘Force B’, reinforced with At 0800 hours, ‘Force A’ was in position 35°16’N, 19°32’E where it was rejoined by ‘Force B’.

Parachute reinforcements also arrived, and the Germans concentrated between Aliakanou and Canea, and immediately west of Meleme. Force A 1 was about 100 nautical miles to the west of Crete. At 2030 hours, the Vice-Admiral light forces with the cruisers passed through position 39°10’N, 19°30’E, course 340° doing 25 knots. [The merchant vessels At 0800 hours, the fleet was in position 37°20’N, 20°18’E. Course was set to 055° at 20 knots to rejoin the C-in-C. Rendezvous was made at 0648/29. The convoy had been made up of four merchant vessels which had all been sunk. STICK IT OUT.’ As ‘Force A’ was somewhat behind due to the air attacks and Admiral Cunningham ordered Vice Admiral Pridham-Whippell to position At 1522 hours, when his ships were some 30 nautical miles astern of the convoy, and in position 34°56’N, 18°19’E, they were suddenly attacked by a dozen German Ju-87 ‘Stuka’ dive-bombers.

101–102, 108–110, 115–116, 134–142Jones, pp. They reported having sighted only a number of rafts and survivors. The On shore, meanwhile, the situation deteriorated. At 2200 hours ‘Force B’ altered course to the eastward as to be in a position to support the destroyers during their passage west at daylight the next day when they were passing south of Sardinia. 377, 386