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Italy.

20. During the winter the Italian Army has been maintained at a strength of about 700,000 men. The whole of the 1917 class (about 285,000 men) will have completed its normal service by the end of March, when it is to be discharged. The new class to be called up in March will be over 400,000. Even so, the total strength of the army, which is expected by the end of March to be about 900,000 men, will still be considerably below the figure of 1,500,000 with the colours in September 1939. Training during the winter appears to have been somewhat handicapped by shortage of equipment. During the next few months training will be mainly elementary, because recruits will form about half the total strength of the army. The Italian recruit can, however, be quickly absorbed in a military unit as a result of his preliminary training, which starts at the early age of 6, and includes some specialist military training between the ages of 14 and 21.

From the point of view of organisation Italy is now better prepared for war than she was in September 1939, but she still lacks modern armament and equip- ment for offensive operations. The call-up of an unusually large number of recruits instead of reservists would appear to indicate defensive rather than offensive intentions in the immediate future.

Far East.

21. The Japanese have resumed their anti-guerilla drive in the Hangchow area, approximately 100 miles south-west of Shanghai. Minor operations are also reported near Amoy on the Fukien coast.

The interruption of the Haiphong-Yunnan Railway by bombing and the cutting of the road from Indo-China to Nanning as a result of the Japanese advance to the latter town have caused the Chinese grave concern. It is hoped to relieve the situation shortly, especially at Haiphong, where large quantities of supplies have accumulated, by the opening up of a new road from Indo-China. Although this new road will only have a quarter of the carrying capacity of the old Nanning road, its construction is an indication of the determination of the Chungking Government to continue resistance.

Royal Air Force Operations.

Bomber Command.

AIR SITUATION.

22. The search for enemy warships, which were reported to be held up by ice off the Emms Estuary (referred to in last week's Résumé), was continued this week. Single aircraft were despatched on reconnaissance on the 16th and the 17th February, but on both ocasions our aircraft failed to return and the enemy claimed to have shot them down. On the 17th February, two Whitley aircraft were sent on a night reconnaissance, and reported the warships referred to in paragraph 6 above. A further Whitley reconnaissance on the night of the 19th February confirmed the presence of four warships north-west of the island and reported extensive ice in the vicinity.

23. Unfortunately, weather conditions seriously interfered with efforts to attack these warships. Two Wellington aircraft were sent off on the night of the 20th February to reconnoitre the area Borkum to Heligoland, followed at intervals by aircraft to attack. Eighteen Wellingtons were despatched in this way, but weather conditions deteriorated and a recall signal was sent out. Two of these aircraft, however, succeeded in reaching the objective; one attacked a warship, believed to be a battleship, one mile north of Heligoland, but failed to obtain a direct hit, and a second made an unsuccessful attack on other warships in the same vicinity. The pilots reported Heligoland to be free from ice, which had receded to some 12 miles east of the island. Meanwhile, the weather over this country had deteriorated and fog covered our aerodromes. Two of our aircraft were damaged on landing and another failed to return.

Two Blenheim aircraft attempted a reconnaissance of the same area on the 21st, but nothing could be seen because of the very poor visibility.

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