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NAVAL OPERATIONS.

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General Review.

There has been a decrease in the shipping losses reported and in the number of U-Boats operating, though enemy aircraft have been active in attacking trade in the North-Western Approaches and on the East Coast.

The German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau have been sighted

at sea.

Home Waters.

2. The Home Fleet sailed on the 25th January and proceeded South of Iceland. Early on the 27th H.M.S. Naiad sighted 2 unknown ships on an easterly course to the east of her, but lost sight of them almost at once when one of them made smoke. The area was searched by ships and aircraft on the 27th and 28th, but nothing was sighted and the Fleet returned on the 30th.

Five Norwegian merchant ships broke out from the Skagerrack and were escorted to Kirkwall by H.M. Ships Naiad and Aurora and destroyers. The S.S. Ranja, tanker 6,355 tons, was in ballast and the 4 other ships totalling 21,897 tons had cargoes of high grade Swedish steel. The escorting forces and convoy were unsuccessfully attacked by enemy aircraft; the only casualty was the First Officer of the S.S. Ranja, who was severely wounded by machine-gun fire.

On the 23rd H.M. armed boarding vessel Northern Gift intercepted the Finnish S.S. Wisa (3,846 tons) proceeding from Petsamo to New York and sent her to Reykjavik for examination.

3. On the 23rd H.M. Destroyer Valorous, escorting an east coast convoy off Lowestoft, engaged and drove off 3 E-Boats which did not return the fire.

4. A photographic reconnaissance of the Hipper class cruiser in dock at Brest on the 26th showed the dock being flooded. H.M.S. Kenya and 2 destroyers carried out a sweep of the Western part of the Channel to intercept her should she proceed to sea, but nothing was sighted. Further air reconnaissance was unsuccessful owing to weather conditions.

5. Six enemy merchant ships were sighted off Ushant steering north-east on the 28th, and H.M. Destroyers Kashmir and Kipling were sent to intercept but were unable to locate them.

6. The Town class destroyers (ex U.S.S.) Newmarket and Richmond, and H.M. Canadian destroyers Assiniboine, Restigouche, Columbia (ex U.S.S.), and St. Francis (ex U.S.S.) arrived from Canada on the 26th.

7. H.M., Destroyer Westcott was damaged in collision with H.M. Corvette Bluebell on 28th January when escorting an outward bound convoy in the North- Western Approaches, but was able to reach her base under her own steam.

North Atlantic.

8. H.M.S. King George V arrived at Chesapeake Bay on the 24th with Lord Halifax on board, and sailed shortly afterwards.

Mediterranean.

9. H.M.S. Illustrious, escorted by four destroyers, sailed from Malta P.M. 23rd and arrived at Alexandria on the 25th. On the night before she sailed Malta was again raided, but no damage was caused or casualties suffered.

A force of cruisers and destroyers, supported by battleships, covered her passage. On the 24th the cruiser force was attacked when 130 miles north of Benghazi by about 30 enemy aircraft, the larger proportion being dive-bombers. Many near misses were obtained, but no damage was sustained by our ships. Four or five of the enemy aircraft were damaged. The enemy aircraft missed sighting the Illustrious.

The Greek submarine Papanicolis claims to have sunk 3 Italian merchant ships on the 24th.

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