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frontiers of the colony. It is estimated that the present garrison of Italian East Africa consists of 105,000 white personnel including Blackshirts, and 190,000 native personnel including irregulars.
General Review.
AIR SITUATION.
26. With the exception of a heavy attack on Hanover, operations by our Home Commands, together with those of the enemy, were at a low level owing to adverse weather.
Our aircraft in Libya and Eritrea maintained their harassing attacks in co-operation with our land forces.
Aerodromes at Malta, Jannina and Heraklion were attacked by the enemy. An unusually determined raid was made by Italian aircraft on Agordat, but elsewhere in Africa hostile air activity was negligible.
Operational aircraft battle casualties and extracts from recent Raid Assess- ment Reports are given in Appendices VI and VII.
Germany and Occupied Territory.
27. Bomber Command flew 32 sorties by day and 524 by night, and Coastal Command 18 by day and 15 by night. Stirling heavy bombers have been in action for the first time. Heavier bombs (1,000 lb. and 1,900 lb.) are being used in increasing quantities.
28. By day, repeated attacks were made on Invasion Ports, and barges and shipping were hit. On two days, large formations of fighters escorted medium bombers on several offensive sweeps of the Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne areas, during which the ports were successfully bombed and two or more enemy aircraft were destroyed in combat; we lost four fighters, but the pilot of one is safe. Fighters, unaccompanied by bombers, also carried out similar sweeps on other days. Coastal Command aircraft attacked shipping at Kristiansand South and a wireless station building nearby was straddled with bombs. The seaplane base at Thisted (Jutland) was successfully attacked.
29. Weather conditions were unfavourable during most of the week, but on the 10th/11th February, in clear weather, our heaviest night operation of the war was carried out. Two hundred and eighty-four aircraft were employed, including three Stirlings operating for the first time, and each carrying 8,000 lbs. weight of bombs; four aircraft were lost. During a raid lasting six hours, 146 tons of high explosive and 25,500 incendiary bombs were dropped on the industrial centre of Hanover and many large fires were left blazing in the target area. Rotterdam petrol harbour was also heavily and effectively bombed and Cherbourg and Ostend were attacked by aircraft of Coastal Command. The following night, under conditions of heavy cloud, Hanover was again attacked in addition to targets at Bremen. Owing to sudden deterioration in weather, resulting in widespread fog, twenty-two heavy bombers of the 109 despatched crashed in this country on return, but only one crew was lost. Other objectives during the period included oil stocks at Mannheim, aero-engine works at Brunswick and the Naval base at Wilhelmshaven.
United Kingdom.
30. Hostile activity was very restricted and during daylight consisted principally of reconnaissances, and isolated attacks on shipping. Enemy fighter patrols were maintained in the Straits of Dover. At night, small-scale scattered raids were made overland but no major attacks developed. Those aircraft that crossed our coast operated mainly over the East and South-East of England, their primary targets being apparently aerodromes in East Anglia. From a total of 210 enemy aircraft plotted at night, 115 are suspected of minelaying.
31. Fighter Command flew 313 patrols involving 1,043 sorties by day, including the operations over Northern France already described, and 174 patrols involving 231 sorties by night.
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