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In the earlier part of the week two Italian submarines were reported, one off Cape Trafalgar and one East of the Azores, and on the 7th October two are known to have entered the Gironde. A report states that arrangements have been made to accommodate ten in those ports. Aircraft reconnaissance on the 6th October showed one submarine at Massawa.

Enemy Merchant Shipping.

German.

13. A report has been received that the Springfjord (2,027 tons, which was built for the British Springwell Shipping Company and launched at Trondheim late in 1939) has been renamed the Rudersheim. She is reported to have left Trondheim with troops hound North on the 30th September.

All the German ore ships with double decks at Lulea on the 30th September were ordered to return to Germany at once.

The Saarland (6,725 tons) left Dairen on the 2nd October, after the captain and crew had been relieved by Japanese. Two other German ships had previously left that port on the 14th August and were also reported to have had Japanese

crews.

The Frankfurt (5,522 tons), at Talcahuano, Chile, has discharged 1,000 tons of sulphur and nineteen tons of lumber. In July she loaded 500 tons of coal.

The Eisenach (4,423 tons), which is at Punta Arenas, is reported to have fitted scuttling charges in her hold.

On the 30th September it was reported that the Arauca (4,354 tons), at Port Everglades, Florida, had been released from her attachment. She has now been reattached on account of a claim of 24,000 dollars. Should this claim be paid two further claims will be pressed.

The tanker Germania (9,851 tons), at Ponta Delgada in the Azores, asked the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey to supply sixty tons of oil. The request was refused. The Klaus Schoke (5,836 tons), at Horta, is taking about 100 tons of coal from another German ship, and is showing signs of sailing.

Italian.

14. It has been reported that two Italian ships were torpedoed off Durazzo on the 30th September. These ships are said to have been the Carmen (1,434 tons), carrying a cargo of cement, and the Rudi, carrying frozen beef. The latter ship has not so far been identified.

Auxiliary sailing ships of 150-200 tons are said to be carrying food from Italy to the Dodecanese Islands, flying Greek or Italian colours as circumstances require.

A press report from Mexico states that nine Italian ships in Gulf ports are preparing to go to sea, and that their crews have been ordered to hold themselves in readiness.

The Orata (8,631 tons), at Las Palmas, was discharging her cargo ashore on the 4th October.

British Minelaying.

15. There has been no British minelaying in the period under review except by aircraft. This has continued off the Dutch Coast and in the Bay of Biscay area, and has been extended again to the Baltic.

Enemy Minelaying and British Minesweeping.

Home Waters.

16. The limits of the Falmouth minefield, laid during the night of the 28th/29th September, have not yet been determined, but the dangerous area has been considerably enlarged as casualties have occurred and mines have been cut outside the orginally-estimated limits. Twenty-three mines have been cut in this minefield during the week the 2nd October to the 9th October, seventeen of them in the process of clearing a channel past the Manacles to the Lizard. The explosions from the mines were very heavy. A new type of non-explosive sweep-cutter has been recovered during sweeping operations, and has been sent to

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