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eastbound convoy escorted by an armed trawler was intercepted by our destroyers off Cape Tres Forcas, outside Spanish territorial waters. The escort, which pro- tested, was allowed to proceed and the convoy was sent in to Gibraltar. Some casualties were accidentally caused in one French ship which at first resisted the boarding party.
Pacific Ocean.
8. The Island of Nauru, where shipping was attacked on the 8th December, was heavily shelled on the 26th December by an enemy raider sailing under Japanese name and markings. The raider, S.S. Nanye Maru, signalled that the shore station was not to use wireless, and then, after hoisting the Nazi flag, shelled at close range the loading jetty, oil storage cisterns and phosphate buildings. Private houses were not fired on. There was no loss of life, but great material damage was done.
Anti-Submarine Operations.
9. During the week under review six attacks on U-boats were made, three by aircraft, two by A/S vessels in the North-Western Approaches and one by an A/S vessel off Malta. None of these attacks are known to be successful.
On the 18th December H.M. Submarine Tuna attacked and probably damaged a U-boat near Bordeaux.
On the 22nd December S.S. Sarastone (2,473 tons) claimed to have obtained two hits on a U-boat when 300 miles S.W. of Cape Finisterre.
Enemy Intelligence.
German.
10. Air reconnaissance of German Naval ports carried out on the 1st January showed the battleship Tirpitz still in the Bauhafen at Wilhelmshaven and the eight-inch cruiser Seydlitz at Bremen.
Italian.
11.
Air reconnaissance of Taranto on the 26th December showed that the Cuvour class battleship had not moved but the Littorio was in dock elaborately protected against air attack. In addition, there were four cruisers and nine destroyers present. At Brindisi on the same day there were four cruisers, six destroyers, and five submarines. At Naples on the 30th December there were two battleships, three 8-inch cruisers, two 6-inch cruisers, and six destroyers, and on the 1st January there were three cruisers and four destroyers at Tripoli.
U-boats.
12. There have been two to three Italian and one to two German U-boats in the Azores-North Africa area throughout the week. One of these was operating off Sierra Leone.
In the North-Western Approaches there have been four to five Germans and four Italians.
French Intelligence.
13. It has been reported both from Washington and Lisbon that the Vichy- French submarine Sfax was torpedoed and sunk on the 20th December in a position about 15 miles off Cape Juby (North Africa). Sfax was on the surface acting as escort to the Fleet Oiler Rhône, of 2,780 tons. The oiler was also sunk. All of the crew of the Rhône and four from the Sfax were picked up. It has been confirmed that no British submarine was in this area at the time of the incident.
A fairly reliable report from Lisbon states that French warships at Casablanca have now been given orders to keep clear of British men-of-war and avoid any action that might be considered provocative.
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