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General Review.
NAVAL SITUATION.
1. H.M.S. Ark Royal has been torpedoed and sunk to the eastward of Gibraltar, in which position a German U-boat was destroyed three days later. Enemy minelaying by aircraft has increased in the Thames Estuary. There has been a renewal of E-boat activity off the East Coast. Shipping losses have been light.
Home Waters.
2. On the evening of the 15th, in the Straits of Dover, a short engagement took place between four of our Motor Gun Boats and enemy surface craft consisting of six or seven E- or R-boats and at least one coaster or trawler, during which casualties and damage were inflicted by both sides. Enemy shore batteries were also in action. One M.G.B. was seriously damaged, one rating being killed and one officer and three ratings wounded.
On the 17th s.s. Runmore (969 tons) shot down a Dornier 17 off Yarmouth. On the 19th H.M. Destroyer Garth was damaged by striking a wreck off the Norfolk coast and H.M. Destroyer Castleton was holed as the result of an explosion, one rating being killed.
During the night of the 19th E-boats attacked a convoy off Cromer and the escorts engaged them, assisted by Motor Gun Boats who were on patrol. H.M.S. Destroyer Wolsey claims to have sunk one E-boat, H.M.S. Campbell and M.G.B. 87 another, and M.G.Bs. on patrol a third. The following morning Spitfires report sinking a fourth E-boat off the Dutch coast and damaging another. The total enemy losses are estimated to be two E-boats sunk, two probably sunk and others damaged.
It is estimated that 9,000 tons of enemy shipping has been sunk or damaged by our aircraft. Details are given in the Air Situation.
Northern Waters.
3. Between the 2nd and 10th November a Russian submarine sank a westbound ship of 5.000 tons and two escorted eastbound ships, about 100 miles south-west of North Cape. Another Russian submarine torpedoed a southbound tanker in Varanger Fiord on the 15th which was later seen on fire.
H.M. Submarine Sealion sank by gunfire on the 18th a small Norwegian tanker, 330 tons, carrying fuel oil to Kirkenes when in the vicinity of the North Cape. The crew abandoned ship.
Mediterranean.
4. During the afternoon of the 13th H.M. Aircraft Carrier Ark Royal, when returning from operations in the Central Mediterranean, was torpedoed by a U-boat about 37 miles to the eastward of Gibraltar, and subsequently sank after being taken in tow. The whole of the ship's company, with the exception of one rating killed, were rescued. Fourteen aircraft from Ark Royal landed at Gibraltar.
H.M. Submarine Proteus, on return from patrol in the Ægean, reported that she torpedoed the Italian tanker Tampico (4,958 tons) off Mandili Island on the morning of the 3rd. The tanker was still afloat at dusk, but a second attack was frustrated by the escort. On the 10th she torpedoed a ship similar to the German s.s. Ithaka (1,773 tons), heavily laden and southbound in the Gulf of Athens, and possibly obtained a hit on her escort.
It is estimated that 10,000 tons of enemy shipping has been sunk or damaged in Mediterranean by our aircraft; details are given in the Air Situation.
During the week six French Merchant Ships (about 20,000 tons) westbound and one (2.000 tons), a survey vessel and 2 trawlers eastbound, have passed the Straits of Gibraltar under escort.
Anti-Submarine Operations.
5. On the 16th H.M. Corvette Marigold, 35 miles to the eastward of Gibraltar, sank a German U-boat and took thirty-four prisoners. One of our aircraft made a promising attack 150 miles south-west of Ushant. Three other attacks have been carried out, two to the south of Iceland (C) and the other in the Western approaches, without visible results.
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