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Seventeen mines, ten of them in the Thames Estuary, have been detonated by LL. Sweep during the week; twelve mines, nine of them in the Liverpool area, have been detonated by S.A. Type A, and S.A. Type C has detonated five off Milford Haven. No contact mines have been swept during the week. The mine totals to date are: Acoustic 207 (including 81 put up by His Majesty's Ships other than Minesweepers), 904 magnetic, and 795 contact.

Many more German explosive floats, and mines of both German and Dutch types, have been washed ashore, or sighted off shore on the East Coast between the Tyne and Aberdeen, and on the East Coasts of the Orkneys and Shetlands. Searches are being carried out to confirm or disprove the existence of an enemy minefield, but it is considered possible that the floats and mines could have drifted across the North Sea from the known German minefields between Norway and Holland since the heavy easterly gales. If this is so, the apparent newness of some would suggest that the fields have lately been reinforced.

It has now been established that the loss of the LL Trawler Désirée in the Thames Estuary on the 16th January was not due to a mine but to the fact that she struck a wreck.

Mediterranean.

16. In the Suez Canal 3 ships have been damaged by mines which have been laid by German aircraft on four occasions during the week, and in consequence traffic has been interrupted and the Canal is at present closed.

3 D.W.I. aircraft and 4 minesweeping whalers which had been sent out in anticipation of such an emergency are being employed in sweeping, and up to the present 14 magnetic mines have been detonated.

It is anticipated that normal traffic in the Canal will be resumed in about 15 days.

Enemy Merchant Shipping.

German.

17. The s.s. Turkheim sent out an S O S on the 30th January, giving a position off the Swedish coast north of Gothenburg.

The Tubingen, 5,453 tons, is reported to have arrived at Oslo during January with a cargo of ore, which was being unloaded before she docked for repairs. Her bows were seriously damaged owing to her having rammed a rock in mistake for a British submarine.

The Gerda Vith, 1,312 tons, and the Leesee, 2,642 tons, are apparently preparing to sail from Vigo, and twenty German seamen have arrived there for them.

The Portland, 7,132 tons, speed 14 knots, sailed from Talcahuano on the 30th January for an unknown destination. She has recently loaded large quantities of food-stuffs, 500 tons of wool, and lubricating and diesel oils. She has not been located since she sailed.

Italian.

18. Since the 28th January at least eight or nine merchant ships have. been either sunk or seriously damaged in the Mediterranean. Reports of sinkings, particularly by Greek submarines, tend to come in slowly, and the losses may turn out to be heavier. The Greek Ministry of Marine has announced that the Greek S/m. Papanicolis torpedoed a heavily-laden 10,000-ton Italian steamer which was escorted by warships off Brindisi during the night of the 28th/29th January. Two transports are reported to have been sunk by an unindentified submarine near the Yugoslav island of Vis on the 2nd February.

A report from Split says that a ship of 10,000-12,000 tons was at Ancona in Sicily on the 26th January loading food and ammunition which it was thought were destined for Albania. She was expected to sail on the 29th January.

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