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grounds at Guines. Very litle opposition was encountered, and during the operation our fighters shot down two enemy fighters and probably a third.

42. A number of offensive sweeps by our fighters have been carried out over the Channel and Northern France, and shipping and troop concentrations have been attacked. Night patrols over Northern France by aircraft of Fighter Command have been continued, and during these operations one Ju. 88 was destroyed.

Italy.

43. On the night of the 11th/12th January seven Wellingtons operating from this country located and bombed the Royal Arsenal at Turin; all bombs fell in the target area causing large fires and heavy explosions. One other aircraft attacked a ball-bearing factory at Turin with similar results.

44. On the night of the 12th/13th, five Wellingtons, also operating from this country, attacked the oil refineries at Venice. One large building was seen to collapse and another was hit by a heavy bomb. The last aircraft reported the target area to be a mass of flames. During these operations a large liner in the vicinity of Venice and hangars and workshops at Padua were machine-gunned.

45. On the night of the 9th/10th January seven Wellingtons, operating from Malta, attacked the harbour and marshalling yards at Messina. A Naval oil storage depôt was bombed, together with the marshalling yards and oil tanks nearby. Bombs also straddled cruisers and ships in the harbour.

46. With the object of destroying German aircraft operating from air bases in Sicily against our naval forces, ten Wellingtons were despatched from Malta to attack the aerodrome at Catania. The attacks appear to have been most successful. Photographic reconnaissance disclosed that thirty or forty aircraft on the ground were burned out or severely damaged. In addition, one hangar was destroyed, another severely damaged, and administrative buildings hit.

47. On the night of the 10th/11th January, six Swordfish of the Fleet Air Arm attacked shipping and the docks at Palermo, hits being obtained on the jetty and warehouses, and large fires started.

United Kingdom.

48. There was no appreciable change in the scale of operations of the German Air Force during the period under review as compared with the previous week, except for an increase in minelaying.

49. Reconnaissance was again the chief daylight activity of the enemy. A few single aircraft flew inland and dropped bombs on various parts of the country. Our fighters were hampered by bad visibility.

50. Enemy long-range bombers were active on six nights of the week. The heaviest attack was made on the night of the 9th/10th January by about 300 aircraft. It was widespread and was neither heavy nor sustained on any particular objective. The Portsmouth area was attacked on the night of the 10th/11th, the London area on the 11th/12th and on the following night, and the East Midlands on the 15th/16th, the number of aircraft employed on these nights ranging between 120 and 150. Plymouth received a short and concentrated attack by about 30 aircraft on the night of the 13th/14th.

51. Visibility was bad during the week, but three enemy aircraft were destroyed by our fighters and five by A.A. fire.

52. Fighter Command flew 483 patrols, involving 1,295 sorties, by day and 227 patrols, involving 276 sorties, by night. These totals are slightly higher than those of last week.

Coastal Reconnaissance, Patrols and Minelaying.

53. Aircraft of the Coastal Command flew 162 patrols and reconnaissances involving 331 sorties. In addition 109 convoy escorts were provided involving 279 sorties.

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