14.Dezember 1939
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13.Dezember 1939 15.Dezember
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The remaining destroyers reached the cruisers at 13.57 together with two
'F' class escort vessels and four 'M' boats. Zig-zagging down the Danish coast,
the German naval force sailed into the patrol area of the british submarine „Ursula“.
Eight miles S of Helgoland, Lieutenant Commander Phillips also launched
a six torpedo attack, two of them struck the escort vessel „F9“ at 0.33.
(15.Dez.39) She sank three minutes
later with a heavy loss of life.
The trawler „James Ludford“ on Admiralty service, was mined and
sank off the Tyne at 55 02'30"N - 01 16'15"W in 44 metres of water on
colliery spoil.
„SS Inverlane“ a tanker (9,141BRT) built in 1938, on a voyage from
Abadan to Invergordon, was under way in the North Sea, her reported position
was 55 05'00"N - 01 07'00"W, when a huge explosion, thought to be
caused by a German mine, ripped through her hull. Four of her crew were killed
and many more injured, the ship was abandoned and left to sink, but she drifted
through stormy seas for 36 hours, to eventually appear on the shore at Seaburn.
The „Inverlane“ burned for five days and
was used as a marker by German bombers searching for the entrance to the Tyne.
When a salvage team got aboard, as the stern had settled on a sandy bottom, it
was decided that the fore section (over 300ft) could be refloated. This was
done and it was first taken to South Shields and then to Blyth to be converted
into a blockship. Over 3,000 tons of rubble and stone were put into the hull,
which was then towed up to Scapa Flow to be sunk in Burra Sound, where she lies
to this day.
In the afternoon, the tanker „SS Atheltemplar“ (8939BRT) and
built in 1930, struck a mine and was lying helpless eleven miles off the Tyne.
The tugs „Joffre“ and „Langton“, lying at Blyth and the tug
„Great Emperor“ from the Tyne, set off to help the tanker, they were met by the
destroyers HMS „Kelly“ and HMS „Mowhawk“ acting as the escorts.
It was 16.30 and nearly dark when the „Atheltemplar“ was reached, her
stern was high out of the water, her forecastle was awash and she was rolling
badly. The tanker is towed to a repair yard in the Tyne on the 15.Dec.
During the rescue operation for the tanker Atheltemplar the destroyer „Kelly“
hits a mine. The „Kelly“ was to be taken in tow by the „Great
Emperor“, after the tow was made fast it was found possible to maintain a
speed of about three knots. Reaching the Tyne just before mid-night, with the
assistance of the tugs „Robert Redhead“ and „Washington“, the „Kelly“
was taken to her builders, Hawthorn-Leslie's shipyard, for repairs.
German T-boats Seeadler, Jaguar start
merchant warfare mission in the Skagerrak (14.-16.Dez. 6 ships captured)
The german steamer “Arauca” (4354 BRT)
and the passengership “Columbus” (32 581 BRT) set sail at Vera Cruz to
break through to Germany.