Page 303
Page 303
Page 303
General Review.
NAVAL SITUATION.
AN Italian battle fleet has been at sea covering convoys to North Africa. Two Italian cruisers have been sunk in the Central Mediterranean. H.M.S. Galatea has been sunk by U-boat near Alexandria.
Three, possibly four, German U-boats have been sunk west of Gibraltar. British and Russian submarines report successes from the Mediterranean and Northern Waters.
Shipping losses, apart from seizures in the Far East, have been slight.
Home and Northern Waters.
2. H.M. Destroyer Puckeridge was severely damaged by bombs off Milford Haven on the morning of the 17th and was towed into harbour.
H.M. Canadian Destroyer Restigouche suffered considerable damage from heavy weather whilst on escort duty south of Iceland (C) on the 14th.
H.M. Submarine Sealion sank an eastbound merchant ship in the North Cape area on the 5th.
Russian submarines also report successes from the North Cape area, where on the 28th November D 3 sank an escorted 6,000-ton ship, on the 5th December an escorted 10,000-ton ship and on the 6th a 5/6,000-ton ship. K 23 on the 26th November sank a 600-ton ship by gunfire off Loppen Island (Fuglo Sound).
H.M. Minesweepers Hazard and Speedy were in action with enemy surface craft, thought to be destroyers, at the entrance to the White Sea on the evening of the 17th. Speedy sustained slight damage and two casualties.
It is estimated that 13,000 tons of enemy shipping have been sunk or damaged by our aircraft during the period. Details are given under Air Situation.
North Atlantic.
3. H.M. Trawler Lady Shirley disappeared without trace from patrol in the Straits of Gibraltar on the 11th, and it is feared that she has been sunk by a U-boat.
H.M. Trawler Loch Oskaig was bombed and damaged off Lisbon on the 12th but was able to proceed on patrol; she was again attacked and claims to have hit the aircraft.
Mediterranean.
4. Before dawn on the 13th, when off Cape Bon, H.M. Destroyers Sikh, Legion and Maori and the Dutch Destroyer Isaac Sweers made contact with the Italian cruisers Alberto di Giussano and Alberico da Barbiano (5,069 tons, 8-6-inch guns) and two torpedo boats, on a southerly course. A Wellington aircraft also sighted the force and the enemy hearing her engines turned back, thereby placing our destroyers in a most favourable position for attack. The allied ships had the initiative and opened fire with guns and torpedoes. The two cruisers were set on fire and sunk; one of the torpedo boats was sunk and the other severely damaged. Our ships suffered no casualties or damage.
H.M. Cruiser Galatea (5,270 tons, 6-6-inch guns, complement about 450) was sunk by a U-boat to the westward of Alexandria on the night of 14th/15th. She was hit by at least two torpedoes amidships. There are about 150 survivors. On the morning of the 17th a force of 3 Italian battleships, with cruisers and destroyers, was sighted west of Navarino, and a similar force was sighted five hours later 80 miles to the westward with four merchant ships in company. H.M. Cruisers Naiad, Aurora and Penelope with 14 destroyers made contact with this force at nightfall and engaged it for half an hour but later lost touch. What appeared to be the same Italian force was sighted by aircraft about noon on the following day, 180 miles to the east of Tripoli, apparently steering for that port.
Page 303
Page 303