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NAVAL SITUATION.
General Review.
In the English Channel naval forces have bombarded invasion ports and a sweep by light craft destroyed enemy patrols.
Destroyers sank an enemy convoy off the Norwegian Coast.
In the Mediterranean contact between light forces resulted in the sinking of three Italian destroyers.
The loss of merchant tonnage, whilst still considerable, is again below the weekly average for the past three months.
Home Waters.
2. A force consisting of H.M.S. Revenge, cruisers, destroyers and motor torpedo boats, working in conjunction with heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force, bombarded the port of Cherbourg on the night of the 10th-11th October. The co-ordination of the attack was excellent, the lighting of fires in the target area and the illumination of Cape de la Hague by flares for fixing purposes occurring at exactly the right moment. One hundred and twenty rounds of 15-inch and 800 rounds of 4-7-inch shell were fired and very heavy fires were started. It would appear that the shore defences at first mistook the bombardment for part of the air attack as the only response to shells falling was a marked intensifica- tion of anti-aircraft fire, including flaming onions and multi-coloured tracers of all descriptions. After the bombardment had ceased a battery of heavy guns (estimated up to 13.5-inch) to the east of the town opened fire. Salvoes fell close to the ships for a period of 30 minutes and up to a range of about 36,000 yards. The fire was so accurate that it was thought that some form of R.D.F. was used for ranging. No casualties or damage were sustained by H.M. Ships.
3. On the night of the 11th-12th October motor torpedo boats torpedoed and sank two enemy trawlers off the Belgian Coast and took 34 prisoners. No account of this incident was given to the Press as it is possible that the Germans will ascribe the loss of these ships to mines.
On the same night two of H.M. Trawlers Listrac and Warwick Deeping were sunk by enemy light craft off St. Catherines. There were 24 survivors from the former and the majority of the Warwick Deeping's crew landed in the Isle of Wight. Two French chasseurs with British crews on patrol in this area are also missing and it is feared that they have been sunk. There is evidence that the enemy force consisted of a destroyer and 3 or 4 torpedo boats or E-boats. Destroyer patrols were ordered to intercept the enemy and early on the 12th October H.M.S. Jackal sighted and engaged two small craft 30 miles north of Cherbourg but the enemy were soon lost in the darkness.
4. About noon on the 15th October six large enemy motor torpedo boats were sighted 9 miles off Dover proceeding to the Westward. They were engaged by the shore batteries, but were not hit.
On the night of the 15th-16th October, H.M.S. Erebus bombarded Dunkirk. She fired 50 rounds of 15-inch, 45 of which were estimated to fall in the target area. Spotting conditions were good and a flare-dropping aircraft drew the ground defence fire so that the spotting aircraft was undisturbed. Fires were observed on the quays. There was no enemy action against our ships.
5. There have been several casualties and cases of damage to destroyers and small craft from mines; H.M. Patrol craft Girl Mary was sunk in the Firth of Forth on the 10th October, two of the crew were lost and the Skipper was seriously wounded. On the 11th October H.M. Patrol Yacht Aisha was sunk with two wounded, and H.M.S. Jersey was damaged in the Thames Estuary. H.M.S. Zulu was also slightly damaged on the same day by an explosion in the Firth of Forth. H.M. Trawler Resolvo was damaged off Sheerness on the 12th October and had to be beached, two of her crew were slightly wounded. On the 15th October H.M. Drifter Summer Rose was sunk off Sunderland with the loss of two of the crew and H.M. Examination Vessel Danube III was sunk off Sheerness, H.M. Yacht Janetha IV was damaged by two other explosions whilst trying to rescue survivors. H.M. Trawler Lord Stamp is missing and is believed
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