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out by 25 or more Ju 87 and 88 dive-bombers which attacked with great determina- tion and skill, thus confirming the arrival in the Mediterranean of units of the German Air Force. In this attack H.M.S Illustrious was severely damaged as a result of 6 direct bomb hits and several near misses, which caused fires and disabled her steering gear. Her casualties were 83 killed, 60 seriously and 40 slightly wounded, including several officers. H.M.S. Warspite also sustained slight damage from a near miss. During this attack one Fulmar and one Swordfish were shot down, their crews being saved, and two enemy aircraft were shot down by gunfire. At 1330 an unsuccessful attack was made on Illustrious by high level bombers and between 1600 and 1700 a second dive-bombing attack by about 30 aircraft was made on her and the Battle Fleet in which another hit was believed to have been made on Illustrious, and H.M.S. Valiant had one killed and 3 wounded from near misses. During this attack Fulmars from Illustrious, which had refuelled at Malta, shot down 6 or 7 Ju 87 or 88's and damaged several others. Heavy bombs of about 1,000 lb. were used in all these attacks. Illustrious, covered by the Battle Fleet, arrived at Malta at about 2100 after a final, but unsuccessful, attack had been made on her by torpedo bombers outside. the entrance to Grand Harbour. Eleven of her Swordfish and 5 Fulmars were destroyed by fire.
7. The M.T. convoy, after being joined by two other merchant vessels and H.M. A/A Cruiser Calcutta from Malta, continued eastward. A surprise attack by 12 dive-bombers was made on H.M. Ships Gloucester and Southampton 180 miles to the south-eastward of Malta at 3 P.M. on the 11th January while they were proceeding to rejoin the Battle Fleet. H.M.S. Gloucester was hit by an unexploded bomb on the director tower, which killed 9 and wounded 14. H.M.S. Southampton was hit by 3 bombs, causing a large fire which defied control, and she had to be abandoned and sunk at 1900. Her casualties were 80 killed or missing (including about 27 officers) and 100 wounded.
8. A signal from Vice-Admiral, Malta, received at 8 P.M. on the 16th reports very heavy raids on the dockyard. H.M.S. Illustrious was hit aft without serious damage, H.M.A.S. Perth was near missed, and the M.T. ship s.s. Essex, which had arrived on the 11th, after being detached from the M.T. convoy, was severely damaged.
9. H.M. Submarine Pandora reported that she sank two Italian supply ships off Sardinia during the forenoon of the 9th January.
East Africa.
On the 8th January H.M.S. Furious disembarked aircraft reinforce- ments for the Middle East at Takoradi. 9 Fulmars and 12 Hurricanes landed successfully. One Hurricane was slightly damaged.
South Atlantic.
11. The French s.s. Mendoza (6,199 tons), which sailed from Montevideo on the night of the 12th January, was intercepted by H.M. Armed Merchant Cruiser Asturias about 60 miles east of Montevideo. s.s. Mendoza evaded boarding by anchoring inside territorial waters. Asturias is remaining in sight outside territorial waters. An aircraft from H.M.S. Newcastle landed at Punta del Este (Uruguay) early on the 15th January, due to lack of fuel. The crew of 3 have been detained by the port authorities pending result of representations by H.M. Minister.
Anti-Submarine Operations.
12. During the week three attacks have been carried out on U-Boats, all of which were in the Freetown area. Two were made by H.M.S. Milford and the other by a Walrus aircraft, but in none of these was there any conclusive result.
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