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32. The 1st/2nd January was the only night during which it was possible to carry out the full bombing programme. On this occasion, out of a total of 154 sorties, nearly one hundred bombers concentrated on targets in Bremen which included the shipbuilding yards and naval base, the railway station, the Deutsche Vacuum Oil refinery and harbour warehouses. Visibility was excellent as the ground was covered with snow, and there is no doubt that the raid was most successful, an enormous fire at the railway station being particularly impressive; all the aircraft returned.
33. On two nights heavy attacks, in which Coastal Command aircraft participated, were made on the submarine base at Lorient with very good results. The smithery was engulfed in fire and hits were made on the barracks, the wireless and power stations and in the dock area. Two effective attacks were also made on the aircraft assembly aerodrome at Bordeaux. On the night of the 1st/2nd January, eleven Coastal Command Blenheims attacked the train ferries at Flushing; bombs fell in the target area and a very large fire resulted. The Channel and Atlantic ports and aerodromes in occupied territory were subjected to a series of light attacks.
Italy.
34. Bad weather prevented operations against Northern Italy, but, as already reported under Naval Situation, attacks were made by Wellingtons from Malta against enemy naval units at Naples and Taranto. On the night of the 29th/30th December six tons of bombs were dropped in the target area at Naples and a fire was left burning; further observation was impossible. On the following night an attack with similar results was made by five aircraft on Taranto, and by single aircraft on a chemical factory at Cotrone and the docks at Palermo. Leaflets were dropped in the course of these raids.
United Kingdom.
35. Fighter Command flew 345 patrols, involving 913 sorties, by day, and 73 patrols, involving 90 sorties, by night. These totals are only about one-half of those flown last week, and correspond to a similar reduction of effort by the German Air Force.
36. German fighter operations over this country have been negligible, and the activities of our fighter patrols have been confined by day to the successful pro- tection of Channel and East Coast shipping, and to the interception of bomber- reconnaissance aircraft which have taken advantage of the cloudy conditions. Bombs were dropped in daylight during the week by single aircraft on a few aerodromes, where no damage was caused, and at Crewe, Southampton and in the Eastern Counties. Conditions were unfavourable for interception, and only two enemy aircraft are known to have been destroyed, although two others are probable casualties.
37. On three nights of the week German long-range bombers were inactive, and on the remainder operations were on a much reduced scale. London was the principal target on the 27th and 29th December, when 90 and 130 aircraft respectively were engaged. The second of these attacks, which was confined to the early part of the night, was delivered mainly with incendiary bombs and resulted in most serious fires in the City and Docks. An attack was made on Plymouth on the 28th by about twenty-five aircraft, and on the 1st/2nd January a somewhat heavier attack was made on various Midland and North-Western towns; bombs were also dropped at three points in Eire, causing some casualties. Axis broadcasts have referred to raids on Great Britain by Italian aircraft, but there has been no other evidence of such activity.
Coastal Reconnaissance, Patrols and Minelaying.
38. Aircraft of Coastal Command flew 144 patrols involving 441 sorties (including 193 convoy escorts), in addition to the bombing operations already referred to. No fewer than six attacks were made on enemy merchant vessels on the 27th December; a Hudson bombed a ship of about 4,000 tons at anchor in
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