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THIS DOCUMENT IS T H E PROPERTY OF H I S BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOYERNMENf

S E C R E T

W . P , ( 4 1 ) 1 7 9

(AUp Paper No. G.O.S, (41)

July 24, 1941

458)

Copy No.

T O B E K E P T U N D E R LOyCK A N D K E Y .

I t is requested that special dgfre may be taken to ensure the secrecy of (his document.

WAR CABINET

WEEKLY RESUME (No. 99)

of the NAVAL, MILITARY AND AIR SITUATION

f r r v mM.JL V / l l l

1 2 - X - W

n r \ r * n U V f V f l l

T u l v JT U l j '

1 ' 7 f h - f t - S I l l y

f o I . U

12 noon July 24th, 1941

[Circulated with the approval of the Chiefs of Staff.]

N A V A L SITUATION. General Review.

1. Our sh ipp ing losses have been except ional ly l ight . Ser ious casual t ies have a g a i n been inflicted on enemy s h i p p i n g by our a i r c ra f t .

A n i m p o r t a n t convoy from the U n i t e d K i n g d o m has reached M a l t a . T h e Scharnhorst ha s a r r ived a t L a Pa l l i ce from Brest .

Home Waters.

2. A i r reconnaissance on the m o r n i n g of the 22nd showed t h a t the G e r m a n Ba t t l e -c ru i se r Scharnhorst h a d left Bres t . She was located a t L a Pa l l i ce , p o r t of L a Rochelle, on the m o r n i n g of the 23rd a n d la te r a t t a c k e d by a i r c r a f t of Bomber Command.

D u r i n g the n i g h t of the 17 th / 18th H . M . S u b m a r i n e Umpire collided w i t h one of H . M . T rawle r s off Cromer and sank. The C o m m a n d i n g Officer a n d four teen men were rescued, bu t two officers and four teen r a t i n g s were lost.

A Focke-Wulf a i rc ra f t , whi le a t t a c k i n g an ou tward -bound convoy, was des t royed by the s.s. Pilar de Larringa (7,046 tons) about 240 miles west of I r e l a n d (R) on the 18th.

A He inke l I I I , which a t t a cked a coasta l convoy off Cromer on the n i g h t of t h e 2 2 n d / 2 3 r d , w a s shot down by the fire of the convoy and escorts. H . M . Des t royer Garth was s l ight ly damaged by a nea r miss.

D u r i n g the week a p p r o x i m a t e l y 71,000 tons of enemy s h i p p i n g have been sunk o r seriously damaged by a i r c r a f t of t h e Coas ta l and Bomber Commands . De ta i l s are given in the A i r Section.

Atlantic.

3. The Vichy French s.s. Isac (2,385 tons) was in te rcep ted to t h e west of G i b r a l t a r on the 19th. H e r engines were sabotaged and she w a s towed in to h a r b o u r .

T h e Vichy French s.s. Ville de Rouen (5,083 tons), from M a d a g a s c a r for D a k a r , was in tercepted by LT.M.S. Dunedin 700 miles south-west of St. He lena on the 22nd, and is being sent in to S imons town u n d e r a rmed g u a r d .

Mediterranean.

4. A n impor t an t convoy c a r r y i n g stores, provis ions and re in forcements f rom the U n i t e d K i n g d o m passed t h r o u g h the S t r a i t s of G i b r a l t a r a n d a r r i v e d a t M a l t a on the 24th. One sh ip of the convoy, the s.s. Sydney Star (12,696 tons), w a s h i t by torpedo from an E-boat bu t reached M a l t a a t reduced speed. S t r o n g nava l forces provided escort a n d cover. The M e d i t e r r a n e a n Flee t also opera ted in the E a s t e r n M e d i t e r r a n e a n in o rde r to c rea te a diversion. I n the course of cont inuous a i r a t t a cks by bombers a n d to rpedo-a i rc ra f t , H . M . Des t royer Fearless w a s sunk a n d H . M . S . Manchester a n d H . M . Des t royer Firedrake were damaged .

D u r i n g a i r a t t acks on a n I t a l i a n convoy to the south of P a n t e l l a r i a about 25,000 tons of enemy s h i p p i n g were des t royed or damaged . N a v a l a i r c r a f t ob ta ined a to rpedo h i t on the s tern of an escor t ing destroyer . F u r t h e r de ta i l s a r e given in the A i r Section.

H . M . Submar ine Unbeaten shelled two 500-ton schooners wh ich were a t anchor 40 miles west of T r i p o l i (L), s i nk ing one and severely d a m a g i n g the other .

H . M . Submar ine Union is overdue from p a t r o l a n d mus t be cons idered lost. T h e nava l camp at K a b r e t , in the C a n a l Zone, w a s d a m a g e d in a n a i r - r a i d

on Suez d u r i n g the n i g h t of the 2 1 s t / 2 2 n d . D u r i n g the week e igh t F rench m e r c h a n t sh ips (upwards of 54,700 tons)

wes tward , a n d seven (31,216 tons) e a s t w a r d passed G i b r a l t a r u n d e r escort .

Enemy Intelligence.

German. 5. A p a r t from the movement of the Scharnhorst the re have been no

i m p o r t a n t changes in the posi t ions of the l a rge r G e r m a n un i t s . T h e Pocket ­ba t t l e sh ip A dmiral Scheer is believed to be c a r r y i n g out t r i a l s in the wes te rn Ba l t i c .

Italian. The th ree I t a l i a n ba t t l e sh ips were s t i l l a t T a r a n t o on the 22nd J u l y ; th ree

c ru ise rs were a t Mess ina a n d four or five a t P a l e r m o . The convoy traffic f rom Sicily to N o r t h Af r i ca , which h a d a p p e a r e d to have

d imin i shed of late, h a s now resumed i ts former volume.

U-Boats. 6. A b o u t 24 or 25 G e r m a n U-Boa t s have been o p e r a t i n g d u r i n g the week;

of which four have been in the South A t l a n t i c , th ree in the Azores a r ea a n d t h e r e s t to t h e w e s t w a r d of I r e l a n d (R). I t is no t ewor thy t h a t t he re a re no s igns a t p resen t of any submar ines west of 2 5 0 W in l a t i t udes no r th of G i b r a l t a r , or in t h e v ic in i ty of I ce land (C). There have been about s ix I t a l i a n U-boa ts in the a r e a A z o r e s - M a d e i r a - C a p e St. Vincent .

Enemy Attack on Seaborne Trade. 7. S h i p p i n g casua l t i es so f a r repor ted have been except ional ly l igh t d u r i n g

the pe r iod u n d e r review. One sh ip is k n o w n to have been torpedoed a n d sunk sou th of M a d e i r a . I n t h e only other U-boa t a t t a c k a ship was d a m a g e d by gunfire to the south-west of I r e l a n d (R). Bombing of coastal convoys on six occasions resul ted in d a m a g e to three sh ips . One sh ip was d a m a g e d by a i r a t t a c k 240 miles west of I r e l a n d (R). Enemy coastal ba t te r ies ineffectively shelled a coastal convoy p a s s i n g th rough the S t r a i t s of Dover.

Protect ion of Seaborne Trade. 8. D u r i n g the week e n d i n g the 23rd J u l y , 1,187 ships, i nc lud ing 231 Al l i ed

a n d 18 n e u t r a l , were convoyed. One ba t t l e sh ip , two cruisers , twelve a rmed m e r c h a n t cruisers , four a n t i - a i r c r a f t sh ips , sixty-seven destroyers , th ree submar ines a n d one h u n d r e d a n d five sloops, corvettes a n d fleet minesweepers were employed on escort du t ies .

I m p o r t s into G r e a t B r i t a i n by ships in convoy d u r i n g the week e n d i n g the 19th J u l y tota l led 580,737 tons compared w i t h 1,147,564 tons d u r i n g the previous seven days a n d an average of 882,283 tons for the pas t ten weeks. Oil i m p o r t s a m o u n t e d to 134,439 tons in 13 tankers . M i n e r a l impor t s were 144,828 tons, of w h i c h 97,697 tons were steel, scrap iron, p i g i ron and i ron ore. T imber a n d p u l p impor t s were 29,157 tons and cereal impor t s 161,011 tons. Food i m p o r t s to ta l led 72,163 tons, of wh ich the p r i n c i p a l commodit ies were : Suga r , 33,958 tons, r e f r ige ra t ed and t i nned mea t 17,491 tons, f r u i t 5,718 tons, cheese 2,585 tons . A n oil refinery ship b r o u g h t 7,225 tons of wha le oil.

British Minelaying. 9. H . M . S . Teviot Bank l a id 323 mines off N o r t h R o n a on the 22nd and, on

the fol lowing day, Moto r Launches l a id 14 mines off the F r e n c h coast. M i n e l a y i n g by a i r c r a f t has been ca r r i ed ou t off N o r t h Sea por t s a n d F r e n c h

channel a n d Biscay por t s .

Enemy Minelaying, Brit ish Minesweeping. Home Waters.

10. The re have been no casual t ies caused by mines d u r i n g the week. E n e m y a i r c r a f t , which may have been mine lay ing , have been r epor t ed off t h e E a s t Coas t on five n igh t s , a l though none a r e suspected in the T h a m e s E s t u a r y south of H a r w i c h . A i r c r a f t have been r epor t ed off L a n d ' s E n d on one n igh t , bu t o therwise the Sou th a n d W e s t Coasts have not been vis i ted.

T w o acoust ic mines were de tona ted south of P l y m o u t h B r e a k w a t e r on the 21st J u l y in an old declared a rea which h a d no t been swept for some t ime. Seven o ther acoust ic and two magne t i c mines have been de tona ted d u r i n g the week. T h e mine to ta ls to d a t e a re : magne t i c 1,289, acoust ic 908, contact 934.

The F a r n I s l a n d s inshore channel is s t i l l closed.

Foreign Waters. 11. The U n i t e d S t a t e s Nava l A u t h o r i t i e s have notified the i r i n t en t ion to

mine c e r t a in w a t e r s in the P h i l i p p i n e I s l ands . [22753] B

M I L I T A R Y S I T U A T I O N . [ A n out l ine m a p showing A x i s ope ra t ions aga in s t R u s s i a is included in th i s

Resume as an inse t . ]

Russo-German Campaign.

12. The genera l s i t ua t ion shows l i t t l e change as compared w i t h the advances in previous weeks, a n d the G e r m a n leaders have been a t p a i n s to excuse them­selves on the g rounds of inevi table difficulties. The re is no doubt t h a t supply problems a r e considerable a n d t h a t much fighting is sti l l t a k i n g place behind the l ead ing t roops . I t is probable, however, t h a t when i n f a n t r y format ions have come u p to relieve the mechanised t roops , the advance wil l r ega in i t s impe tus , subject possibly to some refi t t ing for the a rmoured format ions .

Finland. 13. The s i t ua t ion in the M u r m a n s k a r ea is sa t i s fac tory from the Soviet

p o i n t of view. The only notable advance a p p e a r s to be on the nor th -eas t e rn shores of L a k e Ladoga , where the G e r m a n s and F i n n s c la im to have c a p t u r e d P i t k a r a n t a , some 80 miles from the r a i lway L e n i n g r a d - M u r m a n s k .

Baltic Front. 14. I n the G e r m a n advance on L e n i n g r a d there h a s been heavy fighting in

the a rea P s k o v - P o r k h o v , where the res is tance offered by the R u s s i a n s seems so f a r to have been effective in p r e v e n t i n g a r a p i d b reak - th rough . I t is not clear to w h a t ex tent the oppos ing forces will be able to b r i n g u p re inforcements to cover the heavy losses claimed by both sides. T h e advance in E s t o n i a seems to have d imin i shed in impor tance .

White Russia. 15. Of the t w o m a i n e a s t w a r d t h ru s t s , the first, t o w a r d s the Dniepe r a t

Rogachev, has met w i t h a s tubborn res i s tance ; the second, however, h a s now advanced beyond Vi tebsk , and a r m o u r e d e lements are to the east of Smolensk. T h e r e is l i t t l e doubt t h a t the spea rhead so formed h a s left beh ind i t whole format ions of R u s s i a n s who a re offering serious res is tance to the consol idat ion of the advance.

Ukraine. 16. The G e r m a n forces a d v a n c i n g in the d i rec t ion of the Dn iepe r above

Kiev have met w i t h considerable opposi t ion, bu t the i r p rogress cons t i tu tes a serious t h r e a t to th i s town. The t h r u s t in th i s a rea has left the R u s s i a n defences on the Dnies te r fa r beh ind and mus t e i the r force the w i t h d r a w a l of the Soviet forces in Bessa rab ia or r ende r t he i r pos i t ion extremely p reca r ious .

Bessarabia. 17. The advance of the G e r m a n a n d R o u m a n i a n forces on Ki sh inev was

successful a n d cont inued t o w a r d s the Dnies te r , where more t h a n one b r idgehead may now have been establ ished. The R u s s i a n s a p p e a r to be fighting vigorously to hold the r iver l ine, bu t a R u s s i a n w i t h d r a w a l may be t a k i n g place in view of the G e r m a n advance t o w a r d s Kiev a n d may account for the G e r m a n claim to be p u r s u i n g a bea ten enemy.

Operations. Libya and Egypt.

18. Opera t ions have been notable for a ser ies of successful sor t ies by the T o b r u k Gar r i son . On four occasions pa t ro l s have ca r r i ed ou t offensive r a i d s on enemy posi t ions, p e n e t r a t i n g in some cases several miles w i t h i n the enemy defences a n d a t t a c k i n g s t r ong po in t s a n d posi t ions . T h e a t t a c k s have been pressed home w i t h de t e rmina t ion , a n d have been r e w a r d e d w i t h excellent resu l t s casua l t i es inflicted on the enemy have been heavy, whi le ou r own have been negl igible . The effect on enemy morale is beg inn ing to be a p p a r e n t .

A byssinia. 19. A p a r t f rom a n unsuccessful a t t e m p t by pur forces to c a r r y the Wolchefil.

posi t ion, n o r t h of Gondar , a t the beg inn ing of the week, l i t t le ac t iv i ty has taken place. R e p o r t s from deser te rs i n d i c a t e t h a t the supp ly pos i t ion in Wolchefit is becoming despera te , bu t t h a t the g a r r i s o n has been o rde red to hold ou t to the las t .

Syria. 20. The Al l i ed Forces a re now t a k i n g u p s t r a t eg ic pos i t ions in S y r i a a n d

have reached the T u r k i s h f ron t ie r in t h e nor th-eas t . V ichy F r e n c h t roops have moved to ce r t a in concent ra t ion a reas in accordance w i t h the t e rms of the Armis t i ce .

Reinforcements. 2 1 . The fol lowing have a r r ived a t Suez :—

H e a d q u a r t e r s , X Corps . F o u r Heavy A . A . Ba t t e r i e s . 69 I n f a n t r y B r i g a d e (50 Divis ion) . 161 I n f a n t r y B r i g a d e (from W e s t Af r i ca ) less one B a t t a l i o n . Base a n d L. of C. t roops, a n d d r a f t s .

Intelligence. Spain.

22. The con t inuance of G e r m a n in t e re s t in S p a i n is shown by the recent vis i t of a G e r m a n Genera l to M a d r i d a n d the a r r i v a l of a miss ion in the C a n a r y I s l a n d s to inspect the defences.

A t p resen t t h e G e r m a n t roops between B o r d e a u x a n d the f ron t i e r consist of some five divis ions , i nc lud ing one reserve, two L a n d w e h r a n d two recent ly formed.

Yugoslavia. 23. T h o u g h spasmodic r i o t i ng con t inues in d i s t r i c t s occupied by I t a l i a n s

a n d the re is some guer i l l a ac t iv i ty in the hil ls , the I t a l i a n g a r r i s o n should be qu i t e a d e q u a t e to p reven t any serious d i s tu rbances . " "

Bulgaria. 24. The B u l g a r i a n a r m y r ema ins mobilised, t h e g r ea t e r p a r t be ing concen­

t r a t e d in t h e reg ion of the T u r k i s h f ront ie r , w i t h ga r r i sons i n newly-acqui red a reas in Macedon ia a n d Thrace . W h i l e t h e poss ib i l i ty of aggress ive ac t ion a g a i n s t T u r k e y a t some f u t u r e d a t e canno t be excluded, the re a r e no s ighs of t h i s a t p resen t .

Turkey. 25 . W h i l e t h e G e r m a n s may be p l a n n i n g some offensive act ion, t he only

s igns of such an in t en t ion a r e press r e p o r t s t h a t they a r e i m p r o v i n g r o a d a n d r a i l communica t ions in B u l g a r i a , a n d t h a t I t a l i a n a n d G e r m a n ga r r i s ons on some of t h e J E g e a n i s l ands have been, or soon will be, increased. The re a r e a t p r e sen t no G e r m a n t roops in the a r ea of t h e T u r k i s h f ron t ie r .

Libya. 26. A r e p o r t s ta tes t h a t t h e movement of G e r m a n t roops s o u t h w a r d s

t h r o u g h I t a l y h a s been resumed, a n d t h a t these a re believed to be concen t r a t i ng in Sici ly or t h e ex t r eme sou th of I t a l y .

I n t h e r a i d i n g ac t iv i t i e s a r o u n d Tobruk the I t a l i a n s have shown no subs t an t i a l increase in de t e rmina t ion , even when stiffened by t h e presence of Germans . Knowledge of the condi t ions enjoyed by I t a l i a n p r i s o n e r s of w a r i s believed to be widesp read , a n d may have an increas ing ly adverse effect on morale .

[22753] ' B 2

Iran. 27. T h e I r a n i a n Government cont inues to show signs of anx ie ty about the

safety of the i r f ront ie rs w i t h the Soviet, e i ther out of fear of a R u s s i a n a t t a c k or as a p recau t ion aga in s t a mass incurs ion of refugees from the Soviet Un ion . G e r m a n agen ts a re in tens i fy ing th i s anx ie ty by s p r e a d i n g r epo r t s of a n Ang lo -R u s s i a n agreement to p a r t i t i o n I r a n and of other forms of A n g l o - R u s s i a n collaboration, thus p l ay ing on the t r a d i t i o n a l fear of R u s s i a wh ich fills al l I r a n i a n s . T h e size of t h e G e r m a n colony a t T a b r i z h a s not iceably increased. The town is of s t ra teg ic impor tance , since i t lies a t the j unc t ion of roads from Turkey , I r a q and Russ i a , as well as being the sou thern t e r m i n u s of the r a i lway en te r ing I r a n from Russ i a .

Iraq. 28. The I r a q i Government have reinforced the a r ea of S u l a i m a n i y a w i t h t h e

object of suppress ing the rebel S h a i k h M a h m u d by t h r e a t of force. M a r t i a l L a w is to be declared in Su la iman iya L iwa , bu t wil l not be enforced u n t i l m i l i t a r y opera t ions begin. The Government a re anxious to avoid host i l i t ies , if possible, on account of the u n c e r t a i n morale and d isc ip l ine of the a rmy, wh ich has a t the moment no stomach for fu r the r f ighting.

Japan. 29. There have been a la rge number of J a p a n e s e t roop a n d t r a n s p o r t move­

ments .dur ing the p a s t week. M i l i t a r y p r e p a r a t i o n s in J a p a n , Fo rmosa a n d H a i n a n also cont inue.

30. I n J a p a n itself reservis ts u p to t h e age of 45 have been recal led to the colours, lorries, ca rs a n d horses have been requis i t ioned , l a rge q u a n t i t i e s of b r i d g i n g equ ipmen t a p p e a r to have been moved to t h e west coast, a n d ce r t a in t r a n s p o r t movements have t aken place from J a p a n to des t ina t ions so fa r u n k n o w n .

31. J a p a n e s e forces in the F o r m o s a - H a i n a n a rea now to t a l some 10 divisions, sufficient both for the ex i s t i ng ga r r i sons a n d for an overseas force. Recent t r a n s p o r t movements i nd ica t e t h a t an exped i t iona ry force of two to t h ree divisions m i g h t be launched from H a i n a n .

32. I n M a n c h u k u o the d ispos i t ion of J a p a n e s e forces h a s been ma in ly de fensive. Recent re inforcements a n d cer ta in o ther ind ica t ions t end to show t h a t J a p a n may now be m a k i n g the necessary p r e p a r a t i o n s to a t t a c k should a favourable o p p o r t u n i t y offer.

A I R S I T U A T I O N . General Review.

33. The Roya l A i r Force cont inued its offensive aga ins t i n d u s t r i a l and communica t ion t a rge t s in the R u h r a n d in Occupied T e r r i t o r y .

Heavy losses were inflicted on enemy s h i p p i n g in H o m e W a t e r s a n d in the M e d i t e r r a n e a n .

Enemy a i r ac t iv i ty over th i s coun t ry r ema ins a t a very low level.

Germany and Occupied Territory. General.

34. Bomber Command despa tched 110 sort ies by day and 638 by n igh t , a s compared w i t h 160 a n d 663 respect ively in the previous week. F i g h t e r Command con t inued the i r offensive sweeps over N o r t h e r n F rance , a n d d u r i n g the week flew 155 squadron sorties, involving 1,860 a i rc ra f t .

Day. 35. On t h e 23rd J u l y four S t i r l i n g s of Bomber Command a t t a c k e d t h e

bat t le-cruiser Scharnhorst, which h a d been located t h a t m o r n i n g a t L a Pa l l i ce .

I n sp i te of in tense a n t i - a i r c r a f t fire they succeeded in d r o p p i n g a 2,000-lb. bomb on or nea r the s t e rn of the vessel. They also shot down two out of e igh t Me . 109s w h i c h in te rcep ted them. One S t i r l i n g w a s lost.

36. On the 21st, t h ree S t i r l i n g s a t t a c k e d the accumula tor works a t L i l l e and, a l though poor vis ibi l i ty p reven ted accu ra t e bombing, one l a rge a n d t w o small bu i ld ings were h i t . On t h e fol lowing day t h e s h i p y a r d a t L e T r a i t , n e a r Rouen, was bombed by six Blenheims, a n d bu r s t s were seen on t h e sheds a n d on a s l ipway. T h e power s t a t ion a n d chemical fac tory a t M a z i n g a r b e , n e a r Li l le , were a t t a cked on the 23rd, bu t resu l t s could no t be observed because of heavv A . A . fire.

37. F i g h t e r C o m m a n d a i r c r a f t p rov ided covering escorts for all these ope ra ­t ions except t h a t a g a i n s t the Scharnhorst. They also ca r r i ed ou t several offensive sweeps over the Channe l a n d N o r t h e r n F r a n c e . I n t h e course of combats ou r fighters destroyed 41 enemy fighters, probably des t royed 14 a n d d a m a g e d 2 1 . W e lost 15 bombers a n d 33 fighters, b u t 6 fighter p i lo ts a re safe.

38. Successful a t t a c k s on enemy s h i p p i n g are r epor t ed u n d e r Coas t a l Opera t ions .

39. Enemy defensive fighter pa t ro l s reached the h ighes t to ta l for several weeks in the P a s de Ca la i s a rea , the da i ly ave rage for the week be ing nea r ly 400.

Night. 40. Bombing opera t ions were c a r r i e d out on six n i g h t s of the week, t h e

p r o g r a m m e for the r e m a i n i n g n i g h t be ing cancelled because of un favourab l e wea ther . Over 670 tons of H . E . a n d over 58,000 incend ia ry bombs were d ropped , and i t is e s t ima ted t h a t a l a rge p r o p o r t i o n of these fell in the t a r g e t a reas , t h o u g h i t w a s difficult to assess resu l t s because of cloud a n d th ick haze . The p r i n c i p a l t a r g e t s were the i n d u s t r i a l a n d r a i l w a y centres a t F r a n k f u r t , M a n n h e i m , Cologne a n d Hanover , t he docks a t R o t t e r d a m , D u n k i r k a n d Cherbourg , a n d t h e Scharnhorst a t L a Pa l l i ce .

4 1 . A t Cologne, wh ich w a s a t t a c k e d on two n igh t s , a n d on which 160 tons of H . E . and 17,000 incend ia r i e s were released, a l a rge explosion was observed nea r the E a s t K a l k r a i l w a y s t a t i on a n d a p a r t i c u l a r l y l a rge fire w a s s t a r t e d among the fac tor ies in the south-west of the city. A t F r a n k f u r t , w h i c h w a s a t t a cked on t h r e e n i g h t s a n d on which 129 tons of H . E . a n d 14,200 incend ia r i e s were dropped , several l a rge fires were s t a r t ed , especial ly a t t h e r a i l w a y cen t res a n d nea r the pos t office. A t M a n n h e i m , wh ich w a s bombed on t h r e e n i g h t s , m a n y fires also were s t a r t ed , a n d a t leas t one d i rec t h i t was m a d e on the D a i m l e r Benz Works . A t R o t t e r d a m , a fire w h i c h w a s s t a r t e d a t the oil stores could be seen by a i r c r a f t a h u n d r e d miles away .

42. The enemy m a i n t a i n e d h i s n i g h t fighter pa t ro l s over H o l l a n d a n d N o r t h -W e s t G e r m a n y d u r i n g the week, b u t on a smal ler scale t h a n of la te .

United Kingdom.

43. Offensive sweeps, bomber escorts a n d s h i p p i n g pro tec t ion pa t ro l s a g a i n account for t h e bulk of ou r fighter effort. F i g h t e r C o m m a n d flew 999 p a t r o l s (3,801 sorties) by day, a n d 390 p a t r o l s (570 sort ies) by n i g h t : the l a t t e r to t a l s include dusk a n d d a w n ope ra t i ons .

44. By day , only six enemy a i r c r a f t we re p lo t ted over land d u r i n g the week a n d few in te rcep t ions took place, t h o u g h two H e . I l l s were shot down off t h e Scillies on the 18th. No enemy fighters o p e r a t e d on th i s s ide of the Channe l . S h i p p i n g a n d w e a t h e r reconnaissance fl ights were on the same low scale a s d u r i n g the las t few weeks.

45. By n i g h t , the t o t a l n u m b e r of l ong- range bombers o p e r a t i n g a g a i n s t th i s count ry w a s 170, of wh ich 80 were employed on the 1 7 t h / 1 8 t h , when a n a t t a c k was m a d e on H u l l . T h i s a p p e a r s to have been a n in tensive effort by t h e forces

available, since subsequent sorties by the un i t s engaged were on a much smaller scale. S h i p p i n g off the E a s t Coast, and on one n i g h t in the Liverpool a rea , w a s the m a i n objective on the r e m a i n i n g n igh t s . Enemy n i g h t fighters o p e r a t e d over the eas te rn counties on the same scale as las t week. Abou t a dozen Roya l A i r Force s ta t ions were bombed wi thou t serious incident , probably by the n i g h t fighters. Two enemy a i r c r a f t were destroyed by A . A . d u r i n g the week, bu t the re were no n i g h t fighter in tercept ions . D u r i n g the a t t a c k on Hu l l , the enemy, though based in some ins tances on N o r t h e r n F rance , approached the t a r g e t from the eas t , hav ing flown coastwise along the D u t c h I s l ands before cross ing the N o r t h Sea.

46. D u r i n g the five weeks end ing on the 19th J u l y , 97 Roya l A i r Force personnel a n d 17 Germans have been saved by the Roya l A i r Force Sea Rescue Service. Since i t s fo rmat ion in F e b r u a r y t h i s service has rescued 329 officers and men.

Coastal Operations. 47. Coasta l Command flew 252 pa t ro l s (364 sort ies) and provided escorts

for 94 convoys (264 add i t i ona l sorties). S h i p p i n g pro tec t ion pa t ro l s c a r r i ed ou t by F i g h t e r Command total led 704 (1,476 sorties).

48. Several a t t acks on enemy s h i p p i n g were made d u r i n g the week by a i r c r a f t of Bomber and Coas ta l Commands , which were h ighly successful in sp i te of in tense A .A . fire from F l a k ships. On the 18th J u l y , th ree Blenheims a t t acked off Gravel ines a 6,000 ton tanker , which was pro tec ted by six F l a k ships . D i r ec t h i t s were scored, w i t h the resul t t h a t the sh ip was beached in a s ink ing condi t ion . On the following day, two more successful a t t acks took place. Eleven Blenheims bombed an enemy convoy of e igh t merchan t vessels, escorted by six F l a k sh ips , off the H a g u e , as a resul t of which four vessels, to ta l l ing 22,000 tons, were destroyed and one of 500 tons was damaged . A f u r t h e r e igh t Blenheims a t t acked ano ther convoy of seven merchan t vessels escorted by about six F l a k sh ips off Nordeney. D i r ec t h i t s were obta ined on a t anke r of 10,000 tons a n d on th ree merchan t vessels of 8,000, 6,000 a n d 2,000 tons respectively, all of which were sunk, whi le ano the r merchan t vessel of 3,000 tons w a s damaged .

49. On the 20th, six Blenheims h i t a t a n k e r of 6,000 tons off Le Touque t w i t h three H . E . bombs a n d several incendiar ies , caus ing terrific explosions and h u g e columns of black smoke. The vessel was beached la te r nea r Berck-sur -Mer . O the r enemy casual t ies inc lude a merchan t vessel of 4,000 tons a t St . Naza i r e , ano the r of 1,500 tons off Ege r sund , and a t h i r d of 2,000 tons off Borkum, al l of wh ich received di rect h i t s . Other vessels were a t t acked w i th bombs a n d mach ine gun fire, b u t resul ts could no t be accura te ly observed

50. On the 23rd , a H u d s o n on convoy escort shot down a Focke -Wul fe a i r c r a f t into the sea 107 miles W . S . W . of Achi l l H e a d . The crew of the a i r c r a f t were picked u p by a nava l un i t .

5 1 . A number of pa t ro l s were flown by a i r c r a f t of Coasta l Command on the 22nd and on the m o r n i n g of the 23rd to locate the Scharnhorst. A t 0915 on the 23rd, a pho tog raph ic reconnaissance showed her a t L a Pal l ice .

52. A to ta l of 62 a i r c r a f t l a id mines off Bres t , Lor ien t , St . N a z a i r e , the F r i s i a n I s l ands a n d in the mouths of the Elbe and Weser .

53. M i n e d a y i n g was ca r r i ed out by about for ty enemy a i r c r a f t off the E a s t Coast . Enemy a t t acks on s h i p p i n g were made on four n igh t s of the week, and a r e refer red to in the Nava l Section.

Gibraltar. 54. The usua l convoy escorts a n d a n t i - s u b m a r i n e pa t ro l s were flown.

A search w a s m a d e for a miss ing Blenheim which w a s located, b u r n t out , in Morocco. A Swordfish of the A . A . Co-opera t ion U n i t l anded and rescued t h e crew u n d e r fire from the local A r a b s .

Central Mediterranean. 55. The f ea tu re of the week has been a h igh ly successful a t t a c k by

Blenhe ims a n d Nava l Swordfish on a convoy off P a n t e l l a r i a on the 22nd. T h i s convoy, cons is t ing of four m e r c h a n t sh ips and five des t royers , w a s located by a i r reconnaissance , and la ter four Blenheims were despa tched to a t t ack . T w o sh ips of 6 /7 ,000 tons were each h i t twice a n d a t h i r d s h i p of about 5,000 tons, wh ich w a s h i t th ree t imes , blew u p a n d d i s appea red . A n hour la ter , a M a r y l a n d s igh ted a m e r c h a n t s h i p of about 7,000 tons w i t h only the s t e rn above wa te r , w i t h two des t royers p i c k i n g u p survivors . A t dusk, five N a v a l Swordfish followed u p the a t t a c k on the convoy, which now consisted only of one t anker , one small m e r c h a n t sh ip a n d one destroyer . T w o torpedoes s t ruck the t anke r , which is c la imed as a to t a l loss, a n d the dest royer w a s severely d a m a g e d by a h i t in the s te rn .

56. We l l i ng tons d r o p p e d 9-1 tons of bombs d u r i n g the n i g h t of the 1 7 t h / 1 8 t h on the dockya rd a t Pa l e rmo , whe re four cruisers a n d s ix des t royers were ber thed . O w i n g to an effective smoke screen, the fall of bombs could no t be p in -po in t ed , bu t m a n y bu r s t s were seen r o u n d the es t ima ted pos i t ion of the sh ips . On the n i g h t of the 2 0 t h / 2 1 s t , n ine W e l l i n g t o n s a t t a c k e d the r a i l w a y s id ings a t Naples , d r o p p i n g a l a rge number of incendia r ies , followed by 1\ tons of H . E . L a r g e fires resul ted, a n d subsequent p h o t o g r a p h s confirm h i t s on sheds i n the r a i l w a y y a r d , a n d show a row of t rucks b u r n t out . T w o Blenhe ims m a d e a d a y l i g h t a t t a c k on the power house a t T r ipo l i (L), a n d h i t s were observed on the t a r g e t ; one of t h e Blenhe ims was shot down by a n enemy fighter. The fol lowing n i g h t , four Swordfish bombed the ha rbour , n a r r o w l y miss ing a sh ip a n d s t a r t i n g a fire on t h e foreshore.

57. The u sua l a reas have been covered by visual a n d p h o t o g r a p h i c reconnaissance , a n d a M a r y l a n d so engaged shot down an I t a l i a n th ree -eng ined f loatplane in flames off Syracuse .

58. The enemy have shown l i t t l e inc l ina t ion to a p p r o a c h M a l t a by day, t h o u g h on one occasion a bomber escorted by t w e n t y fighters reconnoi t red t h e i s land. A t t a c k s have been m a d e on the i s land d u r i n g most n i g h t s of the week by u p to n ine a i r c ra f t , bu t for the most p a r t bombs have fal len harmless ly in fields; a wireless s t a t ion was s l ight ly damaged .

Egypt and Cyrenaica. . 59. T h e r e w a s l i t t le ac t iv i ty by day, a p a r t f rom reconnaissance flights a n d

fighter pa t ro l s covering our coasta l s h i p p i n g . W e l l i n g t o n s have con t inued t h e i r n i g h t l y a t t a c k s on Benghaz i , a n d bombs bur s t nea r the Governmen t Offices, ba r r acks , power s t a t ion a n d M . T . workshops , a n d in t h e h a r b o u r d i s t r i c t , whe re m a n y fires broke out . A fire followed by a p a r t i c u l a r l y violent explosion resu l ted f rom a n a t t a c k on the mole a t D e r n a , a n d Bomba a n d B a r d i a have also suffered damage .

60. D a y l i g h t a t t acks have been m a d e by enemy a i r c r a f t on Tobruk , M a a t e n B a g u s h a n d M e r s a M a t r u h , but w i t h o u t serious consequences. A l e x a n d r i a w a s a t t a c k e d by about twen ty a i r c r a f t on t h e n i g h t of the 1 8 t h / 1 9 t h , b u t the h a r b o u r suffered no d a m a g e . A few n i g h t s la ter , the C a n a l Zone w a s bombed by five a i r c r a f t wh ich s l ight ly d a m a g e d four Wel l ing tons . Reference has been m a d e u n d e r N a v a l S i t u a t i o n to nava l d a m a g e a n d casua l t i es .

Cyprus. 61 . On the 18th, four J u . 88s bombed the Nicos ia area , bu t caused no

service d a m a g e or casual t ies . One of the r a i d e r s w a s shot down by a H u r r i c a n e .

East Africa.

62. Bombing a t t acks were con t inued a g a i n s t the r e m a i n i n g I t a l i a n cent res of res i s tance i n the G o n d a r a r ea . Roya l A i r Force Wellesleys, F r ee F r e n c h Blenheims a n d Sou th A f r i c a n A i r Force J u . 86s have t a k e n p a r t in these opera t ions . T w o I t a l i a n fighters, o p e r a t i n g from A z a z o , Sou th of G o n d a r , twice a t t e m p t e d to in te r fe re , a n d s l igh t ly d a m a g e d some of our a i r c ra f t , b u t were

themselves h i t . Our fighters mach ine-gunned Azazo aerodrome, s e t t i ng fire to h a n g a r s .

Russia. 63. Unfavourab le wea the r condi t ions have in te r fe red w i t h opera t ions on the

R u s s i a n f ron t to a considerable ex ten t , w i t h a consequent decrease in a i r reconnaissance of R u s s i a n t roop movements a n d aerodromes which h a s formed a very i m p o r t a n t p a r t of G e r m a n A i r Force act ivi t ies .

64. The G e r m a n s have moved nea r enough to Moscow to give fighter p ro tec t ion to bombers, wh ich have opera ted over the C a p i t a l in considerable numbers . A p a r t from these a t t acks , there have been few developments d u r i n g the week.

65. Repo r t s of d a m a g e d u r i n g an a t t a c k by R u s s i a n Nava l A i r c r a f t on P loes t i oil refinery on the n i g h t of the 1 2 t h / 1 3 t h have been confirmed by pho tog raphs . I t a p p e a r s t ha t , in the Or ion refinery area , t a n k s con ta in ing about 5,000 tons of oil were damaged or destroyed, whi le considerable d a m a g e was probably done to bui ld ings . U p to 100 t a n k cars on the r a i l w a y l ine ad jacen t to the refinery were a p p a r e n t l y damaged or destroyed. The re were fewer fires a t t he A s t r a p lan t , but the re w a s one nea r the c rack ing p l a n t a n d one close to the local power p l a n t a n d boilers. Some small t a n k s a n d some r a i l w a y cars were a lso destroyed. A n o t h e r r e p o r t s ta tes t h a t bombs fell a n d dest royed most of the U n i r e a refinery. The fire caused by the bombing is sa id to have b u r n e d for 18 hours , and to have dest royed 20,000 tons of oil. I t is t h o u g h t t h a t the refinery wil l be out of act ion for s ix months .

Air Intelligence. Italy.

66. I t is r epor t ed t h a t a small force of I t a l i a n a i rc ra f t , i nc lud ing some squadrons of s ingle-engined fighters a n d a few a rmy co-operat ion a i r c ra f t , a r e to t ake p a r t in the R u s s i a n campa ign .

Spain. 67. I t is l ea rned t h a t 120 S p a n i s h fighter pi lots have been accepted by the

G e r m a n s for service on the Russ i an f ront . A l l of the p i lo ts selected have been t r a i n e d on Me. 109s in the S p a n i s h A i r Force .

The to ta l is e s t ima ted to represen t about 30 p e r cent, of the fu l ly - t ra ined fighter p i lo t s in the S p a n i s h A i r Force, a n d wil l a g g r a v a t e the shor tage of flying personnel which a t p re sen t cons t i tu tes the most serious of the m a n y fac tors m i l i t a t i n g aga in s t i t s efficiency.

Smal l bodies of g r o u n d personnel a re also to be despa tched to Germany , and both pi lo ts and g round staff are to have the s t a tus of volunteers seconded from a i r force dut ies . T h o u g h i ts immedia te significance is s l ight , the measure wil l p rov ide the pi lots concerned w i t h a p r e l i m i n a r y per iod of ope ra t iona l t r a i n i n g in G e r m a n y and, p e r h a p s u l t imate ly , w i t h exper ience of w a r condi t ions a n d of act ive col laborat ion w i t h G e r m a n un i t s .

France. I t is c laimed in the F r e n c h press t h a t a considerable number of a i r c r a f t

were w i t h d r a w n from S y r i a to M e t r o p o l i t a n F r a n c e before the s i gna tu r e of the agreement which t e r m i n a t e d the S y r i a n campa ign . W i t h d r a w a l s a re known to have involved a m i n i m u m of one fighter a n d two bomber groupes.

Turkey. I t is re l iably repor ted from C a n a k k a l e t h a t T u r k i s h A . A . guns shot down an

I t a l i a n aeroplane on the 15th J u l y in the Gulf of Enos , near the Graeco-Turkish f ront ier .

Japan. A l t h o u g h deta i ls are lacking, there is some evidence t h a t a movement of

a i r c r a f t from N o r t h a n d C e n t r a l C h i n a to Sou th C h i n a took place about the end of J u n e .

H O M E S E C U R I T Y S I T U A T I O N . General. By Day.

68. No bombs were d r o p p e d on l a n d d u r i n g the week.

By Night. 69. Bombing was a g a i n on a small scale except for an a t t a c k on H u l l on

t h e n i g h t of the 1 7 t h / 1 8 t h J u l y . T h i s a t t a c k w a s the heavies t s ince t h a t m a d e on B i r m i n g h a m a n d N u n e a t o n on the 1 6 t h / 1 7 t h May . D u r i n g the rest of t h e week bombing occurred in Scot land, Yorksh i r e , the Mid l ands , E a s t A n g l i a a n d N o r t h - W e s t E n g l a n d . T o w n s p a r t i c u l a r l y affected were Aberdeen , Corby, Lowestof t , Y a r m o u t h , Liverpool and i t s s u r r o u n d i n g d i s t r i c t s .

Damage . Hull ( l 7 t h / 1 8 t h J u l y ) .

70. T h e a t t a ck las ted for about two hours . 160 fires were s t a r t e d bu t only four became serious. Over 3,500 people were rendered t e m p o r a r i l y homeless. Pub l i c u t i l i t y services received considerable d a m a g e bu t r e p a i r s a r e well in h a n d . Several i m p o r t a n t fac tor ies were affected, t he more i m p o r t a n t of wh ich were :—

Messrs . Spi l le rs L t d . S w a n Mil ls . Completely gu t t ed . Messrs . Sande r son & Co. Oi l refinery p u t out of ac t ion .

Aberdeen ( 20 th /21s t J u l y , 2 3 r d / 2 4 t h J u l y ) . 71 . Ex tens ive d a m a g e w a s done to house p r o p e r t y , t h e F i sh m a r k e t , Regen t s

Quay a n d u t i l i t y services.

Lowestoft (21s t /22nd Ju ly ) ; 72. Ex tens ive d a m a g e to house p r o p e r t y .

Birkenhead ( 2 3 r d / 2 4 t h J u l y ) . 73. A publ ic shel ter w a s h i t , c a u s i n g several casual t ies . D a m a g e was also

done to u t i l i t y services.

Casualties. 74. T h e casua l t ies u p to 0600 hour s 23 rd J u l y a re e s t ima ted a t 132 ki l led

a n d 122 seriously in ju red , of which 111 were ki l led and 108 ser iously i n j u r e d a t H u l l on the 1 7 t h / 1 8 t h J u l y .

[22753] c

A P P E N D I C E S I, I I and I I I

will be published monthly.

A P P E N D I X I Y .

Merchant ships (all sizes) lost by the enemy up to 21st July, 1941.

German. Ital ian. Together.

Gross Gross GrossNo. No. No.Tons. Tons. Tons.

CaptureCapturedd oorr seizeseizedd 65 295,000 42 200,000 107 495,000 ScuttledScuttled,, oorr sunsunkk ...... 121 677,000 89 437,000 :. 210 1,114,000 Unidentif ieUnidentif iedd shipshipss reportereportedd

aass sunsunkk oorr destroyedestroyedd bbyy S/MS/M,, A/CA/C,, &c&c.. (tonnag(tonnagee est imatedest imated)) 297 1,188,000 155 852,000 452 2,040,000

483 2,160,000 286 1,489,000 769 3,649,000

I n addition, 51 ships of 94,000 gross tons under enemy control or useful to the enemy have been sunk.

Also some 53 ships, totall ing 320,000 gross tons, have been placed under protective custody in Uni ted States and South American ports to prevent sabotage by their crews. Some of this tonnage has been taken over and put into service by the Uni ted Sta tes and some by South American Republics .

The losses of unidentified German ships include a number c la imed by the Russ ians .

A P P E N D I X V.

Casualties to H.M. Auxil iary Vessels and to Naval Personnel.

N o casual t ies to ELM. A u x i l i a r y Vessels have been r epo r t ed d u r i n g the pe r iod u n d e r review.

The following casual t ies to nava l personnel have been r epor t ed :— Officers : Ki l l ed 4, wounded 2, p r i soners of w a r 2. R a t i n g s : Ki l led 27, wounded 11, p r i soners of w a r 83, miss ing 74.

These figures inc lude 2 officers a n d 14 r a t i n g s lost in H . M . S u b m a r i n e Umpire a n d 72 r a t i n g s ki l led a n d 83 pr i soners of w a r from H . M . Des t royer Hereward.

A P P E N D I X Y I .

Operational Aircraft Batt le Casualties.

0600 hours, Thursday, 17th July, 1941, to 0600 hours, Thursday, 24th July, 1941.

Metropolitan Area. Royal Air

BombersFightersCoastal

Force. . . .

. . . . . .

In the21 33

Air. On the Ground.

Total :: ... , . ... : 60 . Nil

6 fighter pilots are known to be safe.

ProbablyGerman. Destroyed. Destroyed. Damaged.

Bombers 3 Fighters ... ... 40 14 26 Miscel laneous 3 1

Total 46 14 27

No account is taken of aircraft destroyed on the ground.

Middle East . Royal Air Force. In the Air. On the Ground.

Bombers . . . 1 Fighters . . . 4 Coastal . . .

Total Nil

ProbablyGerman. Destroyed. Destroyed. Damaged.

Bombers ... 1 Fighters . . . Misce l laneous

Total Nil Nil

I ta l ian. Bombers ... 1 Fighters . . . 2 Miscel laneous 1

Total Nil

[22753] D

A P P E N D I X Y I I .

Air Attacks on Enemy Territory in Europe.

Extracts from Recent Raid Assessment Reports.

The following repor t s of d a m a g e have been received d u r i n g the p a s t week from a i r reconnaissance and In te l l igence sources :—

Germany. Miinster.—Photographs t aken on the 11th and 12th Ju ly show d a m a g e to

have been heavy and widespread . The p r i n c i p a l fea ture is the number of completely b u r n t out bui ld ings , both i n d u s t r i a l and p r iva te , in numerous different p a r t s of the town. Two 4,000 lb. bombs have been plot ted , the a p p r o x i m a t e a reas of complete des t ruc t ion re su l t ing theref rom being 180 by 70 y a r d s a n d 90 by 65 yards , but exper ience suggests, t h a t the to ta l damage must ex tend over a much l a rge r area. The works of F a b r i k St i l le on the west of the goods s ta t ion , make r s of ag r i cu l tu ra l implements , has been completely destroyed.

Aachen.—Photographs t aken on the 14th J u l y show the r a i d on the 1 0 t h / 1 1 t h J u l y to have been beyond quest ion one of the most successful a t t a c k s ye t m a d e upon Germany. For the tonnage of bombs dropped the d a m a g e shown is the most extensive yet seen. The re are three m a i n areas of extensive fire d a m a g e — i n the cent re "of the town affecting the p r i n c i p a l m u n i c i p a l bu i ld ings , t h e business a r ea and the shopp ing centre . These th ree areas comprise nea r ly 30 per cent, of the town, not t a k i n g in to account the suburbs. T h e gas works w a s h i t and warehouses and bu i ld ings in the goods s ta t ion were damaged by fire.

I t is sa id t h a t 830 people were kil led in th i s r a id , and a t rave l le r from Belg ium on the -11 th J u l y s t a ted t h a t a delay of two hours occurred a t Aachen , w h e r e damage and d i so rgan i sa t ion were evident.

Osnabriick.—In the r a i d on the 5 t h / 6 t h J u l y the copper a n d wi re works and warehouses a t t he s ta t ion were h i t . T h e l ines to Bremen and M u n s t e r were closed to traffic on the 6th Ju ly .

Bremen.—Jn the middle of J u n e r e p a i r s were being ca r r i ed out to two of the s l ipways which h a d been badly d a m a g e d in the Vegesack Yard .

Bielefeld.—The D u r k o p p works (which in peacet ime m a n u f a c t u r e sewing machines) has been severely h i t . I ncend i a ry bombs fell on a m i l i t a r y camp s i t ua t e in some woods about 5 miles a w a y a n d the camp was b u r n t out .

Krefeld.—Photographs t aken on the 12th J u l y show t h a t t h e two H a m p d e n s which a t t acked on the 7 t h / 8 t h J u l y caused an a rea of damage in the Delschlager S t r a s se and the M a r i a S t rasse . These s t ree ts are in the centre of the town, a n d h a v i n g r ega rd to the small tonnage d ropped the a t t ack was most effective.

North-West Germany.—At M i n d e n fuel s torage t anks have been h i t a n d houses destroyed. The s ta t ions a t Soest a n d U n n a have been hi t , d a m a g e a t t he former being severe. P a s s i n g by t r a i n th rough Elberfeld, damage can be seen on each side of the line, and, t h a n k s to t e m p o r a r y repa i r s , a t B a r m e n the t r a i n s cross a br idge which h a s received a d i rec t h i t . Commercial bui ld ings a t Gu te r s loh a n d Opladen have been damaged , a n d a t the l a t t e r place i t was a p p a r e n t t h a t t h e t r a c k h a d recent ly been r epa i r ed .

Diisseldorf Area.—A works a t Neuss m a k i n g flame-throwers, a n d the m a i n l ine to B e n r a t h have been hi t .

Cologne.—The Mulhe im B r i d g e has been h i t a n d warehouses of the R h i n e S h i p p i n g Company to the south thereof have been b u r n t out or severely d a m a g e d .

General.—It is l ea rn t t h a t to a id the G e r m a n s in assessing d a m a g e f rom t h e i r p h o t o g r a p h s of London, Ber l in w a s pho tographed af ter one or two of ou r r a i d s f rom an equiva len t he ight . I t w a s found t h a t the ac tua l number of h i t s f a r exceeded those disclosed by the p h o t o g r a p h s .

Italy. The r a i d s on P a l e r m o on the 6 th J u l y a n d on N a p l e s on t h e 9 th J u l y were

successful. A t P a l e r m o six ships were sunk. A t Nap l e s the a t t a c k coincided w i t h a proposed d e p a r t u r e of a convoy for T r ipo l i . The p o r t a r ea w a s d a m a g e d a n d a c ru iser h i t . T h e a t t a c k on Nap le s caused the a i r r a i d w a r n i n g to be given in Rome.

Holland. Shipping.—Photographs t aken on the 14th J u l y d u r i n g an a t t a c k on a convoy

off I j m u i d e n show h i t s on a merchan t vessel of about 6,000 tons. A s a resu l t of recent a t t a c k s off the D u t c h Coast a n d a t R o t t e r d a m the re is a g rowi ng desire amongs t businessmen a g a i n s t r ou t e ing the i r goods, especial ly for S c a n d i n a v i a , t h r o u g h D u t c h po r t s .

showing/ approximate

a d v a n c e s

LEGEND

Approximate lirres reached by

Axis^forces:

29th. June. 6 th. July 13th. July 20 th. July

Pockets of /Soviet resistance.

Main tttrusts of Axis Forces.

Note, It is emphasized that in the mobile warfare which has taken place up to date there can be no continuous front line. The broken lines on the map there? Pore ' indicate only the approximate limits of advance of the foremost

. troops.

LEGEND

Approximate hires reached by Axis ^forces;

29th. June. 6th. July 13th. July. 20 th. July

Pockets of/ooviet resistance.

Main tttrusts of Axis Forces

It Is emphasized that in the mobile warfare which has taken place up to date there can be no continuous front line. The broken lines on the map there; Pore indicate only the approximate limits of advance of the l^oremost

\ troops.

LEGEND

Approximate likes reached by Axis forces .--

Z9th. June. 6 th. July. 13 th. July. 20 th. July

Pockets of/Soviet resistance.

Main tprusts of Axis Forces..

It Is emphasized that in the mobile warfare which has taken place up to date there can be no continuous front line. The broken lines on the map there Pore indicate only the approximate limits of advance of the foremost

. troops.