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General Review.
NAVAL SITUATION.
A greater number of U-boats has been operating against our shipping in the Atlantic, but there has been no increase in the number of ships sunk.
Units of the Mediterranean Fleet have maintained supplies to the Army in their advance in Libya, and carried out a bombardment of Tobruk prior to the attack.
Enemy raiders have attacked shipping in the Central Atlantic and in the Southern Ocean.
Home Waters.
2. Units of the Home Fleet have carried out sweeps from Scapa and from Plymouth without making contact with the enemy.
*
H.M. Destroyer Woolston escorting a coastal convoy sighted three enemy E boats off Harwich on the 16th and drove them off before they could attack the convoy.
H.M. Corvettes Rhododendron and Honeysuckle were damaged by mines off Liverpool on the 17th and 19th respectively. but both reached harbour.
In an air raid on Avonmouth on the night of the 16th/17th H.M. Ocean Boarding Vessel Arignani was damaged, and on the night of the 17th/18th some damage was done to the dock area at Swansea. Some naval casualties resulted from an air raid on Skegness on the 18th.
During this week coastal convoys off the East Coast were unsuccessfully attacked by aircraft on five occasions, and one ship was sunk shortly before joining a convoy. Five attacks by aircraft were also made on homeward bound convoys to the north-west and west of Ireland in which three ships were sunk.
A coastal convoy was unsuccessfully attacked in the Thames estuary on the 18th, and a Channel convoy unsuccessfully shelled off Dover on the night of the 18th/19th January.
The Shipwash Lightship was bombed and machine-gunned on the 17th, but only minor damage was caused.
Mediterranean.
3. H.M. Ships and various light craft have been employed continuously in the maintenance of supplies to the Army in the Western Desert, and the withdrawal of captured material and prisoners. During the period 7th to 17th January 35,000 prisoners and many tanks were ferried to Alexandria, bringing the total number of prisoners transported to 54,000. Five hundred tons of stores were landed daily at Sollum, and the supply of petrol for Hurricanes was maintained. R.E. stores and ammunition were unloaded at Bardia. The latter harbour has been cleared and moorings established. Tugs and lighters were reinforced by those based at Palestine which were worked along the coast under the cover of and in conjunction with H.M.S. Terror and gunboats. the 19th Division of Destroyers (Australian), H.M.S. Protector (net layer), minesweepers and anti-submarine motor boats. No opposition was encountered from enemy naval forces, but bombing was constant, chiefly at night.
On the night of the 20th/21st H.M.S. Terror and gunboats carried out a bombardment of Tobruk preliminary to the attack, while destroyers and H.M. Submarine Regent patrolled to the westward to prevent communication. The Italian schooner San Diego was sunk and 10 prisoners taken by H.M. Australian Destroyer Vampire.
4. H.M. Submarine Parthian reports that she sank a laden 7,000-ton supply ship off Cape Spartivento.
5. Enemy aircraft attacked Malta on the 18th, 19th and 21st. H.M.S. Illustrious sustained serious damage from near miss bombs, putting one engine and one boiler-room out of action, and S.S. Essex (M.T. ship, 11,063 tons)
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