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British Minelaying.
19. H.M.S. Teviot Bank and H.M.S. Plover laid 340 mines in the East Coast Barrier on the 12th October and the former laid a further 260 in the same area three days later. On the 12th October H.M.S. Southern Prince laid 99 deep mines off the West Coast of Scotland. Minelaying by aircraft has been continued by both Bomber and Coastal Commands in the Baltic and off the North-Western Coasts of Germany and France.
Enemy Minelaying and British Minesweeping.
20. Ten out of the twelve casualties this week are attributed to the acoustic mine, and in six of these cases the ships were sunk, one other having to be beached. H.M. Ships have detonated nine acoustic mines at varying distances and have either suffered very slight damage or none at all. The Thames Estuary, particularly in the Barrow Deep Channel, appears to be the area in which most mines are being laid. Other areas where casualties have occurred, supposedly due to acoustic mines, are in the Firth of Forth, the Humber and off Sunderland. One mine, thought to be of this type, was exploded in the war Channel north-east of Scarborough.
Independent observers from different ships report that enemy aircraft, thought to be laying acoustic mines, cut off their engines before releasing the mines. On the occasions when mines have exploded in the air the explosion has corresponded with the starting up again of the engine. More reports have been received of acoustic mines being detonated by fast ships after several slow ships have passed without causing an explosion.
The results of LL sweeping operations indicate that magnetic mines are again being laid off the East Coast harbours and in the Estuaries. Magnetic mines were dropped in the Thames during the night of the 15th-16th October and traffic was suspended between Lambeth Bridge and the West India Dock. Within twenty-four hours these mines, with one exception, had been exploded and traffic was resumed with instructions as to the locality of the remaining mine. Following the report of a magnetic mine being seen to drop on the north side of the River, south-east of Southend, on the 13th October a small dangerous area was declared; a skid towing drifter picked up a parachute in the tow and an attempt will be made to recover this mine.
21. Attempts are still being made to clear the proposed searched channel at Falmouth, but operations have been hampered by bad weather and also because a number of sweeps have been cut. Both mines and sweeps have been cut in water previously thoroughly swept. Eleven mines have been cut or exploded in this area during the week.
The dangerous area off Dover was enlarged on the 13th October as mines had been swept outside the limit of the original area. Sweeping continues daily and nineteen mines have been accounted for this week, though several sweeps have been cut. Ships are being swept through the searched channels.
area.
It appears to be certain that E-boats have again laid mines in the Harwich Fast sweepers are sweeping ahead of both the north and south-bound convoys, and during the week nine mines have been cut or exploded in sweeps in the vicinity of the searched channel.
Following the loss of an A/S Trawler on the 14th October seventeen miles south-west of Portland, a large dangerous area has been declared, as a contact minefield is suspected. Other casualties had previously occurred in this area.
The mine totals up to the 16th October are: Magnetic 697 (excluding those on land and those between Lambeth Bridge and the East India Dock); contact 610; acoustic 31.
Japan.
22. Eight out of the total of ten Japanese battleships were present at the Review by the Emperor on the 11th October. If all these ships were in full commission this represents a considerable increase on the normal number. Other units showed no notable increase.
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