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37. On the 2nd February a single meteorological reconnaissance aircraft was seen by fighters off the Norfolk Coast, but when our aircraft approached to within 1 mile it dived into the clouds and disappeared.
Unidentified aircraft were plotted off the Norfolk Coast on the 6th February, but no fighter patrols could be despatched as all aerodromes were fogbound.
A total of 141 patrols were despatched during the week, involving 247 aircraft. These patrols were engaged almost entirely on shipping protection duties.
Coastal Command.
38. 69 patrols were flown during the week, and 37 convoys were provided with air escorts. Three enemy submarines were sighted and two attacks made. On the 2nd February a Hudson dropped two 250-lb. bombs on a submarine 112 miles east of Duncansby Head, and on the 7th February an Anson on patrol 33 miles north-north-east of Cape Wrath dropped two 100-lb. bombs with delayed fuse ahead of the wash of a submerged enemy submarine. There were no apparent results from either attack. The Anson aircraft on the same flight saw a second enemy submarine 50 miles north of the Butt of Lewis, but was unable to attack because it had already released its bombs.
39. Enemy aircraft were sighted on various occasions, and on the 3rd February an Anson engaged one of three Heinkel 111's attacking a British Merchant Ship. After inconclusive combat the enemy aircraft disappeared into clouds. A second Heinkel then attacked the Anson and fired a few bursts before it also disapeared. The Anson sustained no damage.
40. On the 2nd February aircraft with the East Coast convoy sighted two mines close ahead of the convoy and pointed them out to accompanying destroyers, which sank them.
The attacks on shipping have increased the responsibilities of Coastal Command in rescue work as well as defence, special patrols being despatched to search for survivors of ships which had been sunk. On the 2nd February a raft with seven men was seen by an Anson operating from Wick. The aircraft stood by the raft until two armed trawlers arrived and rescued the men. On the 3rd February another Anson directed a fishing smack to a ship's life-boat off Flamborough Head, and nine men were rescued.
Operations in France.
Royal Air Force.
41. There were no air operations of interest during the week, owing to adverse weather conditions. Leaflet carrying balloons were released over Germany from the Western Front with a favourable wind on the nights of the 1st and 2nd February, and 135,000 leaflets were distributed. If conditions remained constant, the areas of distribution would include Nuremburg, Weiden, Magdeburg and Munich.
French Air Force.
42. French air operations were almost entirely restricted to the 3rd February when a few fighter sorties were made without encountering the enemy.
German Air Activity.
Attacks on North Sea Shipping.
43. There was little enemy activity in the North Sea during the week except on the 3rd February when advantage was again taken of bad visibility to carry out an extensive raid on East Coast Shipping. Enemy aircraft acted singly or in pairs, at widely divergent points. Incendiary bombs have been much used, and the number of high explosive bombs dropped by single aircraft suggests that they are of a light type, suitable for attack on unarmoured vessels. Although the raids of the 3rd February were on a larger scale than anything which had preceded them, it is clear that the German Command is still pursuing a policy of limited liability, making attacks only under favourable conditions and conserving aircraft, oil and personnel so far as possible.
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