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Anti-submarine operations.

Ten hunts were carried out by A/S vessels during the week and three attacks by aircraft. Apart from the sinking of U. 63, there has been no definite evidence of success, but attacks carried out by H.M.S. Wakeful and Vesper off the South-West of Ireland on the 24th February were promising. The reports of the French destroyer Simoun of an attack on the 23rd February off Cape St. Vincent also indicate success.

H.M. Submarine Sunfish on return from patrol reported that she unsuccess- fully attacked a U-Boat with torpedoes on the 19th February off Heligoland.

Protection of Sea-borne Trade.

8. 685 ships were convoyed in the week ending noon the 28th February, of these 171 were neutral.

During the period 51 destroyers and escort vessels, 2 cruisers and 1 submarine have been employed on escort duty in home waters; and one battle- ship, one cruiser and seven armed merchant cruisers on ocean escort duties.

Up to date 10,782 ships have been convoyed, of which 9,149 were British, 558 Allied and 1,075 neutral. Of these 22 British, 1 Allied and 2 Neutrals have been lost.

In spite of German pressure to prevent Danish ships sailing in our convoys, they are steadily taking more and more advantage of them.

Cargoes which arrived during the period included 309,000 tons of fuel oil, 250,000 tons of cereals, with a high proportion of wheat, 140,000 tons of food- stuffs and a considerable quantity of fresh fruit, mainly oranges.

German Attack on Sea-borne Trade.

9. Nine ships, of a total of 33,000 tons, have been sunk during the week, the lowest total for some weeks. One Swedish and two British ships were torpedoed. One French and three British ships were mined, all but one in the vicinity of Cromer. Two small ships, one British and one Danish, were lost from unknown causes.

Two British ships were missed by torpedoes, which, in conjunction with other similar reports which have been received recently, is suggestive of lack of training in the submarine commanding officers.

Details of the attacks are given in Appendix I to this résumé.

German Minelaying.

10. Some of the enemy air activity on the night the 22nd-23rd February (reported in last week's résumé) was undoubtedly concerned with minelaying and on detailed reports the Humber was closed until the 24th February, other mines appear to have been laid in the vicinity of the moored minefield off the Cromer Knoll since the evidence of the survivors of the Jevington Court and Clan Morrison goes to show that magnetic mines were responsible for their loss.

No other new minefields have been reported.

British Minesweeping.

11.

The entrance to the Humber was swept for magnetic mines on the 23rd February, but no mines were exploded. Magnetic mines were destroyed near the Sunk Light Vessel (off Harwich) and off the Cromer Knoll.

Convoys are still being swept through this latter area.

German Merchant Shipping.

12. According to a report from Malaga, all the German ships in Spanish ports have been concentrated at Vigo. At present there are fifteen ships left in that port.

The ex-German Hamburg-American Hagen (5,988 tons), which was captured off Durban on the 9th September, has been re-named Ixo and is trading under the South African flag. She is now sailing with a cargo of cotton seed from

Port Sudan.

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