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North Sea and Coastal Operations.

43. Routine patrols have been flown by Coastal Command involving 279 sorties; there have been 404 sorties on special patrol; and 122 on convoy escort. There were nine submarine sightings at widely separated points and at least four promising attacks, excluding one in the Mediterranean.

44. As reported in the Naval Situation, numerous reconnaissances of the Norwegian and Dutch Coasts were carried out by Coastal Command: movements of enemy shipping were extensively reported, and a large number of attacks on ships were made.

45. Eight Beauforts and four Hudsons raided Bergen Harbour on the 15th June, blew up an ammunition dump on the quay, and did serious damage to wharves and warehouses. Six other Hudsons which attacked Bergen and shipping in convoy off the coast found unfavourable conditions of cloud and were not able to observe results. Three Hudsons sent to raid shipping near Obrestad failed to return.

46. On the 15th and 19th June, a Skua, escorted by two Rocs, did successful photographic reconnaissance of enemy batteries at Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk. On the 18th June, Norderney aerodrome was attacked by six Hudsons; the seaplane base at Den Helder was attacked and set on fire by a single Hudson on the 19th June. During the night 19th/20th June, two Hudsons carried out separate attacks on Ijmuiden; hits were observed on the dock in the inner harbour.

47. There were 24 minelaying sorties by Bomber Command during the week, and on the 18th/19th June six Albacores laid mines under the control of Coastal Command, three of them successfully.

Middle East and Mediterranean.

48. There has been considerable activity in all areas and our air operations have been signally more successful than those of the enemy.

49. Egypt. On the 14th June squadrons of Blenheims co-operated in a land attack on three Italian frontier forts, which were bombed and machine- gunned in low attacks. Two enemy aircraft, and possibly a third, were shot down; one of our own is missing. Two squadrons raided El Adem and Gubbi on the 16th June and damaged enemy aircraft on the ground; the attack_was continued by another squadron during the night the 16th-17th June. Reconnaissances for concentrations of troops and aircraft have been regularly maintained, and anti-submarine patrols and escorts have been provided by Sunderlands. It is reported that the Italian cruiser San Giorgio, believed to have been hit during a previous raid, is still aground at Tobruk. The Italians have on several occasions raided Sollum and Sidi Barrani; casualties have been mainly to Egyptian personnel. On the 18th aircraft dropped pamphlets on Mersa Matruh, and twelve Italian aircraft attacked Buq Buq; three of these were shot down and one captured intact, together with the pilot, a colonel, who was wounded.

50. Sudan and Somaliland.-There have been sporadic and not very successful Italian raids on Suakim, the Boma Plateau and Port Sudan; one Wellesley was damaged on the ground at Suakim. Massawa was heavily bombed on the night of the 15th-16th June by five Wellesleys, one of which is missing, and it is believed that petrol supplies there were seriously damaged in a raid on the 17th June. On the 18th two Gladiators attacked two S. 81's without result. On the 19th enemy aircraft bombed Zeilah, Berbera and Tugaran in British Somaliland, but the damage is unknown. On the following day two attacks, by five and six Blenheims, were made on hangars and the railway station at Diredawa. Hits were secured on the railway and workshops were set on fire.

51. Aden.-Assab aerodrome was raided by five of our bombers on the 13th June, and a hangar was hit. A reconnaissance of the Red Sea and Eritrea on that day showed a new satellite aerodrome with some 25 aircraft; these were bombed on the following day (the 14th June), and it is believed that seven were destroyed. This aerodrome and Macaaca were bombed again on the 15th June, and it is believed that one more aircraft was destroyed on the ground.

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