CAB80-8 — Page 73

Page 73

Page 73

fish aircraft

Carrier.

7

The following statistics on the work of the Carriers during the first four months of the war are of interest :-

No. of Sword-

borne.

Square miles

Area employed.

searchea.

Eagle

18

Eastern Indian Ocean

1,019,010

Glorious

36

Western Indian Ocean

897,540

Albatross

6

Freetown

670,000

(Walrus)

Hermes

11

Off Dakar

500,000

Furious (a)...

18

Off Halifax

180,750

Ark Royal

4,250,000

42 while in Home Fleet (6 weeks)

24 while in South Atlantic (14 weeks)

NOTE. (a) Furious did not begin operating until October and experienced

very bad flying weather off Halifax.

To have searched the same area as Ark Royal with surface ships would have required 12 Cruisers steaming at 20 knots for 15 days per month.

Western Front.

MILITARY SITUATION.

26. There have been no important movements during the week and operations have been restricted to patrolling. Unfavourable weather conditions have made air reconnaissance virtually impossible. On the Saar front. the 15th Infantry Brigade has been relieved by the 8th Infantry Brigade.

Germany.

27. The distribution of German divisions shows little change and is believed to be :

Area.

Armd.

Lt.

Mtn.

Inf.

Total.

Western Theatre

4

3

4

89

100

Central Germany

5-7

5-7

Baltic Coast and East Prussia

8

8

Austria

1

1

2

Bohemia-Moravia

1

Slovakia

1

1

Poland (excluding Corridor)

17

17

Totals

6

4

128-130 142-144

Soviet Russia.

28. Reports indicate a slow, but definite deterioration in internal conditions. Food queues are of common occurrence in the principal cities. All available evidence points, however, to the conclusion that adequate supplies of staple food-stuffs are available, and shortages must, presumably, be attributed to failures in the transportation system. These failures are likely to become more serious if the Finnish war continues, since the withdrawal of skilled labour from factories and repair shops will be increasingly felt. There is no evidence to suggest that the régime is likely to be endangered unless difficulties increase considerably and continue for many months.

29. Some further evidence of Soviet-German military collaboration has become available, though there is no confirmation of reports that German instructors have been sent to the Red Army. Reliable reports state that German ships have been carrying war material to Murmansk, and others confirm the presence of small German forces in the Western Ukraine and suggest that Germany has obtained a concession in the Drohobycz area. It seems possible that Russia has granted this concession in return for German technical and material assistance.

30. The Soviet press has lately given considerable publicity to the alleged plans of the Allies for an attack on Soviet territory in the Black Sea area, and especially the Caucasus. Previous reports indicated that the fortifications of Batum and Odessa were being strengthened. According to a recent and unconfirmed report, work is in progress on the defences of Sebastopol and Tuapse, where large quantities of German war material are said to be arriving.

Page 73

57

Page 73

Page 73