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Italian Submarines.

21. The Italian submarine attacked by H.M.S. Watchman on the 12th June was damaged and has taken refuge in Ceuta, where she still remains. Another is known to have passed the Straits of Gibraltar westwards, but her subsequent activities are unknown. The chief evidences of submarine activity have come from the area south of Crete and eastwards towards Alexandria.

U.S.S.R.

22. There has been considerable activity of the Soviet Baltic Fleet in connection with the full occupation of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. From the 6th June onwards there were indications of a concentration of Soviet Naval Forces and Air Forces from Sventjoe, on the East Prussian-Lithuanian frontier, to the Gulf of Finland, and minelayers proceeded to sea fully loaded.

Destroyers visited Windau (Ventspils) about the 10th June, and by the 15th June a Soviet Naval patrol was established in the Gulf of Riga. A despatch vessel arrived at the mouth of the Dwina on the 18th, and the flotilla leader Minsk arrived at Riga on the 19th June.

The battleship Octyabrskya Revolutsiya arrived at Tallinn on the 17th June accompanied by destroyers.

It is reported that the Russians are now occupying the remaining islands off Tallinn, i.e., Aegna and Karl Islands. Maissaar is already occupied. A large number of additional aerodromes are being established, and Russia undoubtedly has air and naval superiority in the Baltic.

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Western Front.

MILITARY SITUATION.

23. The evacuation of the B.E.F. from the ports of Brest, Cherbourg, St. Malo, St. Nazaire and La Pallice has been completed. The total numbers of military personnel and stores evacuated to the United Kingdom up to midnight the 19th 20th June are as follows:-

Personnel--

Fit Casualties

Guns

Vehicles

Ammunition

Stores

Allied Armies

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S

St

al

S:

109,596

Fi

1,909

310

2,278

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150

193

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787

24.

The period covered by this commentary has witnessed the decisive success of the German attacks across the Somme and Aisne. The main German thrust east of Rheims, after reaching the Marne at Chalons, swung eastward and south-eastwards and reached Verdun and Dijon. The whole rear of the Maginot Line was thus exposed to further enemy advances into Lorraine and Alsace, and these continue.

Other German forces struck south-west from the Marne at Chateau-Thierry to cut off Paris from the rear. This move, combined with strong enemy pressure north of Paris, led to the decision not to defend the French capital. On the Seine the German advance was at first slower, but armoured and motorised columns were used to overrun Normandy and Brittany. The next phase of the German offensive carried them forward from the Seine to the line of the Loire. On the 17th June Marshal Petain requested the Germans to inform him of the terms for an armistice.

Mediterranean and Middle East.

25. There has been practically no information from Italy concerning operations, military activity or internal affairs.

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