CAB80-13 — Page 349

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General Review.

NAVAL SITUATION,

THE Armistice between France on the one hand and Germany and Italy on the other came into force at 0035 on the 25th June. In consequence, naval action has been concerned mainly with the evacuation of British refugees and Allied (Polish and Czech) troops from France and with taking such action as has been possible to prevent French warships falling into enemy hands.

Shipping losses from submarine attack have increased.

Enemy heavy ships have been operating from Trondheim.

Northern Waters.

2. At 2235 on the 20th June H.M. Submarine Clyde, 60 miles north of Trondheim Fjord, sighted a force of enemy ships, apparently consisting of one battle-cruiser, one pocket battleship and one destroyer, steering N.N.W. The battle-cruiser was attacked and hit with one torpedo. The attack was reported when the Clyde surfaced at 0100 on the 21st June.

3. At 0630 on the 21st June H.M. Ships Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and York left Rosyth to rendezvous with the Newcastle and Sussex eastward of Scapa and proceed towards the Norwegian coast. H.M. Ships Renown and Repulse with five destroyers sailed from Scapa at 1215 for the same rendezvous. At 1115 aircraft reported one battle-cruiser and six destroyers off Sogne Fjord steering south at 25 knots. The aircraft shadowed and six Swordfish of the Fleet Air Arm were sent to attack. They attacked the battle- cruiser with torpedoes, but were unsuccessful and two of them were shot down. A later attack by six Hudsons and nine Beauforts with 500-lb. bombs obtained at least one hit near the stern and two near the foreward turrets. During this attack four of our aircraft were shot down. Our shadowing aircraft were afterwards driven off by enemy fighters, and, as visibility enabled our cruisers to be constantly shadowed and attacked by enemy aircraft, they were unable to make contact with the enemy warships. At 0123 on the 22nd June our forces were withdrawn.

4. On the 23rd June two heavy cruisers (one of which may have been a battle-cruiser) and three destroyers were sighted by aircraft in Trondheim Fjord and photographed.

5. The French Submarine Rubis completed a minelaying operation off the Norwegian coast on the 24th June.

6. On the 25th June H.M. Submarine Snapper attacked a small southbound convoy escorted by aircraft off Stavanger. One ship is believed to have been sunk.

7. During the night the 26th-27th June H.M. Aircraft Carrier Argus, with Walrus amphibian aircraft, and S.S. Andes, with 3,000 personnel, arrived at Reykjavik (Iceland).

Home Waters.

French Coast.

8. Between the 20th and 25th June the evacuation of British subjects and of Polish and Czech troops was continued from St. Nazaire, La Pallice, Le Verdon, Bordeaux, Bayonne, Arcachon and St. Jean de Luz. H.M. Ships Galatea, Arethusa, Calcutta and a number of destroyers in addition to merchant vessels were engaged in this operation.

9. The President of Poland embarked in H.M.S. Arethusa on the 21st, and the British Ambassador and Ministers for the Dominions, and their staffs, in H.M.S. Galatea on the 23rd. On the 24th ships taking part in the evacua- tion from Bayonne and St. Jean de Luz were bombed, but evacuation was completed by the afternoon of the 25th. Up to noon on the 22nd the following

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