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Anti-Submarine Operations.
6. The only attack during the period was carried out by H.M. Destroyer Harvester about 450 miles west of Blacksod Bay on a doubtful contact in the vicinity of a ship that had been torpedoed seven hours previously. There was no visible result.
Enemy Intelligence.
German.
7. Air reconnaissance of Kiel on the 30th January showed a Hipper Class cruiser in dry dock; the pocket battleship Lutzow, a Schlesien class battleship and the cruiser Emden were alongside.
The battleship Tirpitz is still at Wilhelmshaven and was seen on the 5th February to have moved back to her old berth in the Bauhafen. The Hipper Class cruiser was seen at Brest on the 1st February, but she had probably left by the 3rd, though complete reconnaissance was not possible until the following day when her departure was confirmed.
The battle cruiser Gneisenau is said to have been seen southward bound in the Skagerrak on the 24th January.
Air reconnaissance over Cherbourg on the 2nd February showed one destroyer in port, and two large naval units of unspecified character were seen in Lorient on the 4th February.
Italian.
8.
Air reconnaissances of Taranto on the 1st and 2nd February showed the Littorio class battleship still in dock and heavily camouflaged; there were also four cruisers and seven destroyers as well as smaller craft in the port. Two cruisers were at Messina on the 1st February and one was at Naples on the following day. There were three destroyers at Tripoli on the 5th February.
Submarines.
9. There have been five German submarines in the North-Western Approaches throughout the week, exclusive of those on passage, and one or two in the Azores-West Africa area. There were probably two Italian U-Boats in the North-Western Approaches in the earlier part of the week but now there is only one. It seems unlikely that there are any in the southern area.
Photographic reconnaissances of Lorient on the 1st and 4th February showed eight and five submarines present respectively.
Raiders.
10. It now seems likely that one of the two ships which attacked the s.s. Eurylochus 700 miles west of Freetown on the 29th January may have been the Admiral Scheer. It is possible that she has been in the South Atlantic since she was last heard of on the 18th December. Two ships which are now overdue may have fallen victims to these raiders. There have been raider signals though not of a very definite character, from near the Azores. There have been indications from D/F that the raider in the Southern Ocean is moving north-eastwards and that the ship which attacked the Mandasor on the 24th January had moved west of the Seychelles by the 4th February. It is estimated that there may be as many as seven raiders at large including the Admiral Scheer, but not including the Hipper Class cruiser from Brest.
Enemy Attack on Seaborne Trade.
11. During the period the 30th January to the 5th February, 16 ships and 2 small craft, a total of 78,058 tons, have been reported sunk and of these 12 ships. and the 2 small craft (60,612 tons) were British.
[22204]
B
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