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THIS DOCUMENT IS T H E PROPERTY OF H I S B R I T A N N I C MAJESTY*S GOVERNMENT
SECRET
Copy No.
W.P. (41) 1 0 9
(Also Paper No. C.O.S. (41) 325)
May 22, 1941
TO BE KEPT UNDER LOCK AND KEY.
I t is requested t h a t special care may be taken to
ensure the secrecy of this document.
WAR CABINET WEEKLY RESUME (No. 90) of the NAVAL, MILITARY AND AIR SITUATION from 12 noon May 15th, to 12 noon May 22nd, 1941 [Circulated with the approval of
the Chiefs of Staff.]
The reports of operations in and around Crete are given on page 10.
N A Y A L SITUATION.
General Review.
1. The Mediterranean Fleet is engaged in operations off Crete. A German battleship has arrived at Bergen. S h i p p i n g losses d u r i n g the week have been heavy. Home Waters.
2. Two heavy ships and eleven merchant ships w i t h a i r and surface escorts
were reported proceeding n o r t h w a r d through the K a t t e g a t on the 20th a n d on the
21st aircraft located a Bismarck-class battleship, a Hipper-class cruiser, a
destroyer a n d 6 merchant ships a t Bergen. I n consequence of these movements
strong naval forces have proceeded to the Iceland (C) area.
The F i n n i s h tanker Josefina Thorden (6,549 tons) was intercepted by our
patrols on the 19th, a n d the Jussi H (2,323 tons) on the 20th, about 150 miles to
t h e west of the Faroes. The t a n k e r was attacked by enemy aircraft six hours after
interception a n d set on fire, but two days later the fire was out and she was taken
in tow.
Enemy a i r c r a f t Were shot down by H.M. P a t r o l Vessel Perspective off the
H u m b e r and by H.M. Minesweeper Princess Elizabeth
and four trawlers off
Harwich.
North Atlantic.
3. The French tanker Sheherazade
(13,467 tons), which h a d escaped from
New Orleans on the 16th, 2 hours before U.S. g u a r d s were due to go on board,
was intercepted by H.M.S. Diomede 800 miles E a s t of B e r m u d a on the 21st. The
French schooner Izarra was intercepted on the 17th when 420 miles north of the
Azores.
D u r i n g the period 12 French merchant ships (42,000 tons) have passed
G i b r a l t a r westbound and 7 (32,000 tons) eastbound. All were under escort.
Mediterranean.
4. The Greek destroyers are now operating as local escorts from A l e x a n d r i a
and the Greek submarines have been exercising w i t h their own torpedo boats.
H.M. Submarine Undaunted
is overdue from patrol and must be con­
sidered lost.
H.M. Submarine Triumph bombarded Apollonia and also sank a 400-ton
schooner in t h a t area.
H.M. Submarine Unbeaten attacked shipping to the east of Tripoli and sank
a large schooner and damaged a smaller one by gunfire.
H.M. Submarine Urge sank a 7,000-ton t a n k e r and a 9,000-ton troopship in
a south-bound convoy to the south-west of M a l t a on the 20th and on the 21st
attacked two cruisers and 3 or 4 destroyers at long range, possibly sinking a
destroyer.
H.M. Gunboat Gnat bombarded Gazala on the n i g h t of the l 7 t h / 1 8 t h .
H.M. Destroyer Encounter received further d a m a g e in an a i r r a i d on M a l t a
on the night of the 15th/16th, and H . M . Minesweeper Eernoy is now so badly
damaged t h a t she is to be broken u p . H M . Corvette Gloxinia was damaged by
a mine at M a l t a .
D u r i n g t h e air attacks on Crete (reported u n d e r the Cretan section) H.M.
Corvette Salvia was damaged at Suda Bay on the 16th and H.M.S. York was
again hit on the 18th. On the 20th H.M. Minesweeper Widnes a n d a small
auxiliary were damaged and beached.
Other Foreign Stations.
5. H.M. New Zealand Minesweeper'Puriri sank whilst sweeping in H a u r a k i
Gulf. There were four casualties.
H.M.S. Newcastle 300 miles south of St. Helena intercepted the French
Lieutenant St. Loubert Bie (6,126 tons) on passage to Madagascar from Marseilles
with 1,700 Indo-Chinese troops.
I n I t a l i a n Somaliland, G u a r d a f u i Lighthouse was occupied by our forces
and Tukom (10 miles South of G u a r d a f u i ) surrendered on the 19th May.
Anti-Submarine Operations.
6. Nine attacks by surface craft a n d four by a i r c r a f t were made d u r i n g the
week, some of which, almost certainly, were directed against the same submarine.
I n two instances quantities of oil were sighted on the surface a t the end of the
attack or series of attacks. These were in attacks carried out by air and surface
craft on the 15th, 300 miles west of Ireland, and a n attack made by ELM. Destroyer
St. Clair on the 20th, 400 miles west of Ireland.
Enemy Intelligence.
German.
7. The Scharnhorst
and Gneisenau remain a t Brest. On the 16th May a
floating crane was working alongside the former. A i r reconnaissance of Kiel on
the 18th May showed a n 8-inch cruiser in dry dock and a pocket battleship,
probably the Admiral Scheer, in the port. The 8-inch cruiser Seydlitz was still
at Bremen.
U-Boats.
8. U p t o 16 German and 4 I t a l i a n U-boats have been operating in the
North-Western Approaches throughout the week. The majority of them have
been disposed to the west of Iceland (C), with two or three to the south of
Iceland (C) a n d two north-west of the Hebrides. U p to five Germans have been
working to t h e west and north-west of Freetown.
Raiders.
9. I t is t h o u g h t t h a t the raider t h a t sank H . M . S . Voltaire (Weekly Resume
No. 85) r e t u r n e d t o Germany sometime in A p r i l .
There is probably one raider in the N o r t h A t l a n t i c , one in the South A t l a n t i c
and one or p e r h a p s two in the I n d i a n Ocean.
Enemy Attack on Seaborne Trade.
10. S h i p p i n g losses during the period have been heavy. They have been
mainly caused by U-boats, which made a heavy attack on a homeward-bound
C a n a d i a n convoy about 300 miles south-east of Greenland, sank several
independently-routed ships to the west of Freetown a n d inflicted a small number
of casualties on shipping in the N o r t h - W e s t e r n Approaches.
A i r c r a f t have attacked convoys i n the North-Western Approaches on two
occasions and inflicted some casualties. I n this area the S.S. Umgeni (8,160 tons)
shot down a Focke-Wulf on the 19th and rescued five survivors.
There have been few air attacks on coastal convoys, all unsuccessful. There
were several casualties from an aircraft a t t a c k in the M e d i t e r r a n e a n and two from
mines in the Thames Estuary.
Protection of Seaborne Trade.
11. D u r i n g the week ended the 21st May, 904 ships, of which 154 were
Allied and 21 N e u t r a h were convoyed. One battleship, one cruiser, twelve armed
merchant cruisers a n d ocean-boarding vessels, four submarines, 59 destroyers,
66 sloops and corvettes and 7 ex-American coastguard-cutters have been employed
on escort duties.
I m p o r t s i n t o G r e a t B r i t a i n by ships in convoy d u r i n g the week ending the
17th M a y were 1,062,625 tons, compared w i t h 891,156 tons d u r i n g the previous
[22541]
B 2
week a n d an average of 737.293 tons for the p a s t ten weeks. Twenty-eight
tankers brought 306,636 tons of oil compared w i t h 245,291 tons i n 26 tankers
between the 4th and 10th May. M i n e r a l imports were 326,129 tons, of which
260,316 tons were steel, pig-iron; scrap-iron and iron-ore. Timber imports were
35,359 tons, and cereals 208,841 tons, 26 ships being fully laden with g r a i n . Other
food imports amounted to 109,108 tons, of which the principal commodities, in
tons, were : s u g a r and molasses, 43,601; refrigerated a n d tinned meats, bacon and
hams, 23,369; dried a n d t i n n e d fruit (including a cargo of 8,282 tons of currants),
9,982; cocoa, 8,298; butter, 4,184; tea, 1,887; a n d jam, 1,367. Three consign­
ments of tobacco totalled 1,299 tons, and among large imports of machinery were
1,772 tons of machine tools.
British Minelaying.
12. On the 16th May, H . M . Ships Teviot Bank and Plover laid 370 mines
in the East. Coast area, and H . M . S h i p s A gamemnon, Menestheus and Port Quebec
laid 1,490 mines in t h e Iceland (C)-Faroes Channel.
Minelaying by aircraft h a s continued, though not on any great scale, chiefly
off the French Channel and Biscay P o r t s .
Enemy Minelaying, British Minesweeping.
Home
Waters.
13. Enemy aircraft have carried out minelaying operations off our coasts
every n i g h t this week, chiefly on the east coast from the Humber to the Thames
E s t u a r y a n d off Falmouth.
Six magnetic mines and 12 acoustic mines have been detonated d u r i n g the
week and one m i n e h a s been counter-mined in the Clyde. Seven contact mines
have been swept in the F a l m o u t h field and one contact mine has been swept
about 31 miles east of Orfordness. The mine totals, including those dealt w i t h
in foreign waters, are now : acoustic 610, magnetic 1,151, contact 872.
Foreign
Waters.
14. D u r i n g the n i g h t of the 1 7 t h / 1 8 t h M a y minelaying a i r c r a f t r a i d e d the
Suez Canal, and six mines were dropped in the vicinity of K a n t a r a , while about
20 bombs or mines exploded i n the C a n a l or on the shore. The position of the
mines were all marked. T w o minelaying a i r c r a f t were shot down. Traffic is
stopped i n the n o r t h e r n section, b u t it is hoped to resume it shortly. Several
objects suspected to be mines were dropped off the G r a n d H a r b o u r entrance of
Valletta, Malta, d u r i n g the n i g h t of the 1 4 t h / 1 5 t h May. No report of mines
swept since this r a i d has so f a r been received. New searched approach channels
have been established for the two V a l l e t t a harbours.
Enemy Merchant Shipping.
German.
15. P h o t o g r a p h s taken of Bordeaux d u r i n g the last week confirm the report
t h a t the Portland, 7,132 tons, h a d a r r i v e d a t Bordeaux from Talcahuane.
The Ithaka, 1,773 tons, a n d t h e Cordelia, 1,357 tons, w i t h the E o u m a n i a n
t a n k e r Campina, 3,032 tons, entered t h e Bosporus on the 14th bound for the
i E g e a n a n d were met off the Dardanelles by two seaplanes and one aeroplane.
The Campina is under German control and was fully loaded w i t h 3,800 tons of
petroleum. T h e Ithaka was loaded w i t h ammunition and the Cordelia w i t h
g r a i n . T h e Yalova left C h a n a k for Mitylene on the 15th May, a n d her cargo
was said to be food-stuffs. T h e Arkadia,
1,756 tons, is reported to have h a d a
cargo of 6,100 bombs and a large number of small rubber boats when she passed
I s t a n b u l on the 8th M a y bound for the iEgean. T h e Bulgarian Tzar
Ferdinand,
1,994 tons, passed I s t a n b u l bound for the Black Sea on the 20th May.
Italian.
16. The Pier Luigi, 2,571 tons, which h a s been chartered by a German
firm, passed I s t a n b u l and C h a n a k on t h e 15th a n d 16th May respectively, bound
for Greece, and is reported to have a cargo of 4,000 tons of grain. The Caterina
Madre, 4,020 tons, also German controlled, passed t h r o u g h the Bosporus on 19th
May, bound for Salonika, with 5,850 tons of Wheat. The tanker
Giuseppina
Ghirardi, 3,319 tons, with 5,000 tons of benzine, passed through the Bosporus Orf
19th May, bound for Greece. The agents of the Capo Arma, 3,175 tons, also
under German control, have produced a bank g u a r a n t e e for the debt due to the
Shell Company, for which the ship had been sequestered at I s t a n b u l ; she has been
released and sailed on 20th May for B r a i l a .
The tankers Arcola, 6,349 tons, and Todaro, 5,162 tons, are reported to be
loading a t Teneriffe and to intend leaving on 20th May.
The Duchessa D'A osta, 7,872 tons, which is at F e r n a n d o Po, in the Gulf of
Guinea, is believed to be in wireless communication with Europe and t r a n s m i t t i n g
information about the movements of allied shipping.
French Intelligence.
17. The disposition of the m a i n units of the French Fleet is :largely
unchanged. T h e bulk of them are a t Toulon, whilst there are l i g h t forces sand
damaged capital ships a t the North A f r i c a n ports, Casablanca and D a k a r .
I t is reported t h a t a t D a k a r the caissons have been removed from t h e battle­
ship Richelieu, but t h a t divers are still a t work on her. A t Toulon a system of
' ' g a r d i e n n a g e ' ' has been instituted for all but a force consisting of t h e battle­
cruiser Strasbourg, three 8-inch cruisers, two 6-inch cruisers, the a i r c r a f t carrier
a n d certain small craft, which are kept a t short notice. U n d e r this system the
ships a r e m a i n t a i n e d ready for sea, p a r t l y fuelled and w i t h ammunition, but
provided w i t h reduced civilian crews.
Reports of the s t a t e of opinion in the French Fleet suggest that i t is now
less a n t i - B r i t i s h t h a n was formerly reported, and is certainly very anti-German,
except for a number of over politically minded officers.
. '
MILITARY
SITUATION.
Operations.
N O T E . — T h e m i l i t a r y operations in Crete are shown in p a r a g r a p h s 71-75.
Egypt and Libya.
18. On the 15th of May, simultaneous offensive operations were carried out
by our troops in the Sollum-Sofafi a r e a a n d by the Tobruk garrison.
19. The former operation gained considerable initial success and our
leading elements penetrated as far as F o r t Capuzzo, seven miles west of Sollum.
Later in the day an enemy counter-attack, supported by about 40 medium a n d
heavy tanks, necessitated a w i t h d r a w a l to positions i n the Sidi Suleiman-Half ay a
area with forward posts in Sollum. Heavy casualties i n personnel and A . F . V . ' s
were inflicted on the enemy and 500 prisoners were taken.
On the 18th of May the enemy attempted an advance eastwards towards
Halfaya and Sidi Suleiman w i t h a force which included 70 tanks. The southern
flank of this force was attacked) by our armoured troops a n d the enemy w i t h d r e w
later i n the day.
20. The operations in the Tobruk area took the form of an,advance by our
fighting patrols a n d tanks in the Medawar salient, the western extremity of the
defensive perimeter, a position which was recently occupied by the enemy. The
enemy counter-attacked vigorously d u r i n g the following night and recovered
some of the ground which he had lost, but by the 16th of May our position in the
salient h a d been consolidated w i t h an average gain of about 600 yards.
Casualties have not yet been fully assessed, but i t is believed t h a t in all these
operations the balance is in our favour.
A byssinia.
21. On the 16th of May, emissaries from the D u k e of Aosta, commanding
the I t a l i a n forces in East Africa, arrived at the h e a d q u a r t e r s of our troops
investing the Amba A l a g i position to ask for terms of surrender for himself and
the garrison. The formal surrender of the Amba A l g a i garrison numbering about
7,000 took place on the 19th of May and the D u k e of Aosta and his staff
surrendered on the following day.
22. Operations against the r e m a i n i n g I t a l i a n forces concentrated about
G o n d a r a n d G i m m a and in the lake area of Southern Abyssinia are proceeding
steadily, although hampered by bad weather,
Iraq.
23. A council of fair s t a n d i n g under local Sheikhs has been established a t
Basra for local administration. The situation there remains quiet and police
posts 25 miles south of the city have been occupied w i t h o u t incident.
24. T h e progress of our advance columns from P a l e s t i n e was delayed owing
to soft going, the leading troops reaching El Majora, south of Lake H a b b a n i y a h
on 16th May, where they were met by armoured cars and have now arrived at
Habbaniyah.
On the n i g h t of the 1 8 t h / 1 9 t h M a y our troops entered Falluja w i t h o u t
casualties. The bridge across the T i g r i s a t this point was found to be undamaged.
Far
East.
25. Lieutenant-General A . E. Percival, D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., assumed
command Malaya on 16th May.
2 / 1 5 P u n j a b Regiment has arrived in Borneo from Singapore.
Intelligence.
Germany.
26. Several sources confirm the strengthening of German forces along the
Russian frontier in N o r t h Norway, E a s t P r u s s i a and South Poland, a n d a r m y
formations which are being w i t h d r a w n from the Balkans may well be destined
for Poland.
27. A t the same time there a r e several reports which h i n t a t a rapproche­
ment between the two countries. Some of these suggest t h a t German t h r e a t s
have been successful, a n d t h a t a r r a n g e m e n t s for German control of the despatch
of supplies from Russia have been accepted by the latter country.
28. German p r o p a g a n d a , which recently was spreading rumours of war, is
now stressing closer co-operation. Two reports state t h a t H i t l e r has not finally
decided whether to obtain his wishes by persuasion or by force of arms, and
another indicates t h a t the l a t t e r alternative will be chosen if the former does not
give results by the end of M.&y.
Norway.
29. T h e number of German troops reported to have arrived recently in
Kirkenes and N o r t h Norway amounts to the equivalent of one division.
Movements of German t r a n s p o r t s from Baltic ports since the beginning of M a y
tend to suggest t h a t the German garrison in Norway and F i n l a n d is being further
reinforced.
Spain.
30. R e p o r t s have been received of the presence of German troops a t P a u ,
the reconnaissance u n i t of an armoured division being mentioned .
One r e p o r t suggests t h a t G e r m a n y ' s intention in S.W. Europe is to neutralize
G i b r a l t a r by g a i n i n g command of the S t r a i t s from the Spanish a n d the A f r i c a n
coasts, r a t h e r t h a n to a t t e m p t its capture.
Morocco.
31. Small p a r t i e s of German " tourists " are still filtering into the interior
of the French a n d Spanish Zones of Morocco a n d intensifying their p r o p a g a n d a
among the Moors. There have also been reports of similar p a r t i e s a t one or two
points in W e s t Africa.
Turkey. .
32. I t is reported t h a t certain Germans in I r a n w i t h an i n t i m a t e knowledge
of T u r k e y were ordered on the 13th M a y to leave for T u r k e y w i t h i n 48 hours.
33. The German occupation of several of the Greek islands in the E a s t e r n
JEgiean constitutes a serious t h r e a t to Turkey, which would be intensified if the
present attack on Crete proved successful.
Syria.
34. There now seems little doubt t h a t the landing in Syria, of German
a i r c r a f t and t h e passage from S y r i a through Turkey of a r m s and ammunition
for the I r a q i rebels were achieved with the full knowledge of the French H i g h
Commissioner and at the.behest of Vichy. Fearing retaliation by us when the
news leaked out, French troops were moved towards the Palestine and I r a q
frontiers a n d A.A. defences around the principal towns a n d aerodromes were
fully manned. I t is now clear t h a t General Dentz and the majority of the French
in Syria will remain loyal to Vichy.
35. T h e r e are reports of an agreement between France and Germany,
covering facilities a t ports a n d a i r bases, whereby the French will w i t h d r a w to
the Lebanon area, leaving Germany a free hand in the rest of the country. German
" tourists " a r e daily expected i n large numbers and there a r e rumours of the
imminent arrival of a German M i l i t a r y Mission.
AIR
SITUATION.
General Review.
36. D u r i n g the week there was a decrease in the number of day and n i g h t
operations carried out by Bomber Command owing to unfavourable weather con­
ditions. The n i g h t effort of the enemy was also on a much reduced scale.
Syrian aerodromes used by the German A i r Force have been heavily attacked
by our aircraft.
Germany a n d Occupied Territory.
General.
37. D u r i n g the week Bomber Command flew 74 day and 448 night sorties,
which is a decrease in both day and n i g h t operations compared w i t h the previous
week.
W e a t h e r conditions deteriorated d u r i n g the latter p a r t of the period
under review a n d caused projected operations to be cancelled on three nights, a n d
curtailed on t h e fourth night.
Day.
38. W i t h the exception of successful attacks on Gosnay, near Bethune, and
on Heligoland, all our daylight operations were concentrated against enemy
shipping and are reported under Coastal Operations. The attack on Gosnay
was directed against the Power Station and Benzol P l a n t , direct hits being scored
on both objectives causing clouds of steam and smoke at the former and volumes
of smoke from the latter.
P h o t o g r a p h s confirm this.
Thirteen squadrons of
fighters were engaged in escorting our bombers and covering their withdrawal.
Numerous combats ensued a n d we lost six fighters, and one bomber; five enemy
fighters were destroyed and eight more damaged. On the same day the naval
base of Heligoland was subjected to a surprise attack carried out from heights
of 40 to 50 feet, in the face of intense anti-aircraft gunfire. Explosions were
seen in the centre of the town" from which a mass of smoke and flame resulted.
One of our bombers did not return.
Night.
39. On the first four nights of the week a i r c r a f t of Bomber Command
carried out moderately heavy attacks against the I n d u s t r i a l centres at Cologne
(on two consecutive nights), Hanover and the naval shipbuilding yards at Kiel.
A t t a c k s on a lighter scale were made on Boulogne, Dieppe, E o t t e r d a m and a
number of secondary targets. Three Manchesters and two Stirlings bombed the
industrial centre of Berlin on the n i g h t of the 15th /16th. A p a r t from many l a r g e
fires seen through g a p s in t h e cloud, results were obscured by indifferent visibility
and searchlight dazzle. Some indication of the effect of these attacks may, how­
ever, be gauged from the weight of bombs dropped in the target areas. Cologne
received 178 tons of H i g h Explosive bombs and 25,500 incendiary bombs; Hanover,
86 tons of H . E . and 10,500 incendiary bombs; Kiel, 50 tons of H . E . and 2,300
incendiary bombs, while 15 tons of H . E . were dropped on Berlin.
40. Coastal Command a i r c r a f t on two n i g h t s bombed the docks at
Willemsoord and Dieppe. Other attacks were made on the E-boat base at
Ijmuiden, U-boats at St. N a z a i r e and destroyers at L a Pallice, in addition to
small r a i d s on invasion ports and on aerodromes near Brest. Bombs were seen in
most instances to explode in the t a r g e t areas, but accurate observation was difficult
owing to weather conditions.
- F i g h t e r Command despatched offensive sorties against aerodromes in
N o r t h e r n France on two nights.
United Kingdom.
41. F i g h t e r Command flew 1,171 patrols involving 3,177 sorties by day and
669 sorties were flown by night. There was a slight increase in the daylight
effort of the enemy. By night, however, there was a considerable decrease, only
290 long-range bombers being employed as compared w i t h 1,070 in the preceding
week, although adverse weather conditions prevailed on three n i g h t s only.
42. By day, the u s u a l enemy reconnaissances and patrols were flown, and
again there were a few offensive daylight sweeps by small formations over Kent.
H a w k i n g e aerodrome was machine-gunned three times on the 16th M a y by one
of these formations. D u r i n g t h e week our fighters destroyed a t least fifteen
a i r c r a f t engaged in these operations, and A . A . guns destroyed three others. W e
lost seven aircraft, but three pilots were saved.
43. By night, there were n o sustained or concentrated bombing attacks on
this country. The heaviest a t t a c k was made on the n i g h t of the 1 6 t h / 1 7 t h May,
when about 140 a i r c r a f t m a d e a widespread a t t a c k on the M i d l a n d s .
Three
enemy n i g h t bombers were destroyed d u r i n g t h e week. W e lost two Beaufighters,
but the crews are safe.
Coastal Operations.
44. Coastal Command flew 252 patrols a n d provided escorts for 107 convoys,
involving a total of 821 sorties. S h i p p i n g protection patrols carried out by
F i g h t e r Command totalled 886 and involved 1,849 sorties.
45. Enemy coastal s h i p p i n g was subjected to a number of attacks, by
a i r c r a f t of Bomber Command and Coastal Command, in the course of which
Blenheims of the former Command sank a 2,500-ton merchant vessel off Bergen.
46. Eighteen successful minelaying sorties were flown d u r i n g the week, of
which twelve were carried out by a i r c r a f t of Coastal Command. A n average of
about 18 enemy minelaying a i r c r a f t was plotted on six nights, o p e r a t i n g princi­
pally between the Thames E s t u a r y and the H u m b e r and in Liverpool Bay and off
our South-Western coasts..
47. A i r c r a f t of the Condor u n i t c a r r i e d out two dawn attacks on shipping
N o r t h - W e s t of I r e l a n d a n d other u n i t s were similarly engaged a t n i g h t off the
E a s t Coasts of E n g l a n d a n d Scotland, E a s t of Dublin and South-West of Wales.
D u r i n g daylight Me. 109's made two attacks on s h i p p i n g off the South Coast.
48. Enemy bomber reconnaissance a i r c r a f t continued their routine patrols
over our coastal areas a n d the N o r t h Sea.
Malta.
49. Enemy a i r c r a f t m a d e six attacks on M a l t a during the week, but our
fighters were unable to intercept. L u q a aerodrome w a s again the m a i n t a r g e t and
w a s attacked twice on the 20th and once on the 21st M a y by l a r g e formations of
German aircraft. T h r e e of our a i r c r a f t on the g r o u n d were b u r n t out and others
were damaged. Some d a m a g e w a s also done to the aerodrome buildings. Takali
and H a l f a r aerodromes were also attacked, but only slight d a m a g e was caused.
- 50. On the n i g h t of the 1 5 t h / 1 6 t h the G r a n d H a r b o u r was attacked by
eight German aircraft, and V a l e t t a was bombed twice d u r i n g the week, some
civilian 'property being demolished.
51. Several reconnaissances of the T u n i s i a n and Sicilian coasts and of the
Ionian Sea were flown by our M a r y l a n d aircraft.
Crete and Eastern Mediterranean.
52. A report of the operations in Crete are described in p a r a g r a p h s 71 to 75
of this Resume.
53. Our a i r c r a f t have continued to make heavy attacks on aerodromes in
Greece used by the enemy as bases for air attacks on Crete. On the night of the
16th/17th M a y seventeen Wellingtons from E g y p t heavily attacked the
aerodromes at Malaoi and at Argos. Four aircraft were destroyed at the former
and large fires were started at the latter. Two nights lateryseven Wellingtons
attacked successfully the aerodromes a t Hassani and Eleusisfand on the n i g h t of
the 2 0 t h / 2 1 s t ten Wellingtons heavily bombed the aerodromes at Molaoi, Eleusis,
Menidi and Toplia.
54. On the night of the 1 7 t h / 1 8 t h May a Wellington bombed
aerodrome (Rhodes) and s t a r t e d several small fires.
Calato
55. On the 15th, eight I t a l i a n aircraft bombed Nicosia (Cyprus), but caused
no service damage or casualties.
Egypt a n d Libya.
56. Benghazi H a r b o u r was heavily bombed by our aircraft three times
during the week a n d much damage was done to buildings near the Mole.
57. A t t a c k s on enemy aerodromes were continued. H u r r i c a n e s destroyed
two Me. 109's on the ground a t G a z a l a ; at D e r n a eight Wellingtons and two
Blenheims dropped bombs on a large concentration of enemy aircraft and on the
hangars.
The B a r r a c k s and aircraft at Apollonia were also successfully
machine-gunned.
58. Several successful attacks were made on enenry supply columns. On
the 16th May H u r r i c a n e s and Blenheim fighters machine-gunned a convoy of
one h u n d r e d large M.T. vehicles between Barce a n d Derna, destroying several of
them, and on the 19th a H u r r i c a n e set fire to vehicles which were conveying troops
between Derna a n d B a r d i a .
59. About t h i r t y enemy a i r c r a f t attacked the harbour and the water
distillery a t Tobruk on the 17th without causing damage or casualties. The
Suez Canal near P o r t S a i d was attacked by J u . 88's a n d He. l l l ' s on the n i g h t
of the 1 7 t h / 1 8 t h May, when about fifty mines or bombs were dropped, t h i r t y of
which failed to explode. Low machine-gun attacks were also made. No damage
or casualties are reported, but three enemy aircraft were destroyed.
Palestine and Syria.
60. G e r m a n aircraft proceeding to I r a q have continued to make use of
Syrian aerodromes.
: 6 1 . Our aircraft heavily attacked enemy a i r c r a f t on the aerodromes at
Palmyra, R a y a k and Damascus. A He. I l l and a large t r a n s p o r t aircraft were
set on fire a t P a l m y r a , and the r u n w a y a t R a y a k was damaged.
62. Our a i r c r a f t which were engaged on these operations were fired on in
the Damascus, Aleppo, B e i r u t and R a y a k areas, a n d attempts were made by
French fighter a i r c r a f t to intercept.
[22541]
c
Iraq.
63. Our aircraft have continued their attacks on aerodromes and barracks.
I n the a t t a c k on the h a n g a r s a t Rashid on the 20th M a y thirteen direct hits were
obtained, and in the attack on Mosul aerodrome by Blenheim fighters on 1 6 t h / 1 7 t h
M a y two enemy a i r c r a f t on the ground were set on fire and others were damaged
by machine-gun attack. A n extensive fire was also started.
64. S t a n d i n g patrols were maintained by our a i r c r a f t over Habbaniya and
Fallujah. I r a q i troops at F a l l u j a h were attacked by our bombers on the 19th and
pamphlets were dropped demanding surrender. On the same d a y a column of
B r i t i s h troops was landed to the east of the town by V a l e n t i a s and Douglas
aircraft.
65. A number of German aircraft have arrived in I r a q . Two Me. 110's
were shot down over R a s h i d on the 17th May. On the 16th and 20th He. l l l ' s
a n d Me. 110's attacked H a b b a n i y a aerodrome, where the engine r e p a i r depot was
set on fire and some damage was caused to our aircraft.
66.
The I r a q i A i r Force have not been in action since the 7th May.
Abyssinia.
67. D u r i n g the week our a i r c r a f t attacked enemy positions a t Gondar a n d
at Chilga, near Lake T a n a , and aerodromes at Azazo and Gimma. A t t a c k s were
also made on motor t r a n s p o r t and armoured fighter vehicles between Chilga a n d
Gondar and near Dalle, several direct h i t s being scored.
General Air Intelligence.
1
Syria.
68. I t is reported t h a t the defences of Syrian Aerodromes are being improved
and t h a t troops are standing-to in anticipation of a B r i t i s h a t t e m p t to take over
control of Syria.
69. The two t r a i n loads of arms which left Aleppo on the 11th May have
arrived in I r a q , and these a r m s a r e believed to be now in the h a n d s of the I r a q i
rebels.
70. Meanwhile, the infiltration of German " tourists " into S y r i a continues
and 200 a r e reported to be expected to arrive shortly at Beirut.
CRETE.
71. A f t e r a week of considerable a i r activity, d u r i n g which our a i r c r a f t
made a number of heavy a t t a c k s on aerodromes in Greece used by the Germans
as bases for air attacks on Crete, a large number of enemy a i r c r a f t on the
19th May made heavy bombing and machine-gun attacks on the Maleme, Canea,
Heraklion and Suda Bay areas.
72. On the 18th May, Officer Commanding, Royal A i r Force, and General
Freyberg h a d decided to w i t h d r a w the remaining aircraft, as experience in
Greece h a d shown the impossibility of o p e r a t i n g them without adequate A.A.
protection in the face of a heavy scale of air attack. Conditions in Crete were
even more unfavourable as there were no facilities for dispersal, a n d aerodrome
defences were insufficient.
73. I n the morning of the 20th M a y enemy a i r attacks were continued
a n d at 0800 German air-borne troops h a d been landed south and south-west of
Canea. A t 1100 approximately 1,500 enemy troops wearing New Z e a l a n d battle
dress landed by gliders, parachutes and troop carriers in the Canea a n d Maleme
areas. By the afternoon most of them h a d been mopped u p , but a fairly strong
enemy p a r t y south of the Canea-Maleme road h a d not been accounted for.
D u r i n g the afternoon p a r a c h u t e troops w e a r i n g English battle dress landed in
Heraklion town, on the aerodrome and in the C a n d i a area.
74. On the 21st of May, the situation at Heraklion was obscure, but the
town a n d h a r b o u r were partly occupied by the enemy, who h a d mounted machine
guns on the mole. I n the Retinio Sector an a t t a c k on the aerodrome at 0300 was
successfully withstood. D u r i n g the morning in the Maleme area a heavy a i r
attack forced our troops to w i t h d r a w east of the aerodrome. According to a
later r e p o r t the aerodrome and the area west of it were held by the enemy, but
elsewhere t h e coast line was in our hands. L a n d i n g s of parachute troops S.W.
of Canea a t 1515 were heavily engaged by our artillery and machine-gun fire.
D u r i n g the week the garrison of Crete had been reinforced by 2nd Leicesters,
6 " I " tanks, 16 light tanks, 18 A A . guns, 17 field guns, and on the 18th and
19th M a y a further battalion w i t h 14 days' supplies, together with 3 " I " tanks,
and stores were landed a t Mesara Bay.
75. Strong forces of the Mediterranean Fleet h a d been operating in the
vicinity of the island for some days, and on the night of the 20th cruisers and
destroyers patrolled the north coast but without result. They retired to t h e
southward d u r i n g daylight on the 21st, and the destroyers refuelled.
ELM.
destroyer J u n o was sunk by bombs in this area about noon. On the afternoon of
the 21st five convoys of merchant ships and fishing vessels, two of them escorted by
destroyers, were reported steering t o w a r d s Crete from the islands to the north.
Cruisers a n d destroyers were ordered to intercept, and d u r i n g the n i g h t sank a n
enemy destroyer, two merchant ships a n d a number of caiques. U p to 0845 hours
on 22nd M a y no sea-borne enemy troops had been landed in the Heraklion,
Retimo, Canea a n d Maleme areas. (Operations are continuing.)
HOME S E C U R I T Y S I T U A T I O N ,
General.
By Day.
76. Minor bombing occurred in K e n t and Sussex on the 15th May and at
B r i x h a m on the 19th May.
By
Night.
77. Compared with previous weeks, bombing was on a minor scale and of a
widespread n a t u r e . On the 1 6 t h / 1 7 t h May, however, the bombing w a s chiefly
concentrated on the B i r m i n g h a m area, Nuneaton receiving the main weight of the
attack. Southampton, Plymouth, Leicester and Chelmsford were among other
places where bombs were dropped. Three aerodromes i n Cornwall were attacked.
Damage.
Nuneaton.
78. I n the attack on the 1 6 t h / 1 7 t h May damage to w a r industry was not
serious, b u t p a r t of the Daimler Company's works were destroyed by fire.
Production in other factories was hampered for a few- days by damage to the
town's utility services. Several public buildings and many houses were damaged.
Birmingham.
79. T h e military effect of the r a i d was very small. Although fires were
started at five i m p o r t a n t factories, the damage was not serious. I n the centre of
the City a shelter was h i t causing several casualties.
Elsewhere.
80. A t B r i x h a m a gasometer was badly damaged and at Tipton damage at
the Mond Gas Company temporarily affected the supply of 44 industrial concerns
in the Black Country. A benzol p l a n t at Plymouth w a s destroyed. Some damage
was caused in the Docks of Barrow-in-Furness and to the Royal Ordnance Depot,
L a n d g u a r d P o i n t , Felixstowe.
Casualties.
8 1 . Casualties for the week ending 0600 hours, 21st May, a r e estimated at
163 killed and 212 seriously injured. No casualties have been reported from
London.
[22541]
APPENDICES
I, II and
III
will be published monthly.
APPENDIX
IV.
Enemy Merchant Ship Losses up to Wednesday, 21st May, 1941.
German.
Captured
Capture d or seize
seizedd
Sciattled
Sciattle d o r s u n k ..
....
Unidentifiedd ship
Unidentifie
shipss reporte
reportedd
b y S/M
S/M,, A/C
A/C,, & cc,, a s sun
sunkk
o r destroye
destroyedd
(tonnag
(tonnagee
estimated)
estimated )
Italian.
Together.
No.
Gross
Tons.
No.
Gross
Tons.
61
104
274,000
589,000
40
72
189,000
397,000
101
176
463,000
986,000
186
930,000
109
545,000
295
1,475,000
351
1,793,000
221
1,131,000
572
2,924,000
Gross
Tons.
No.
I n addition, 42 ships of 72,000 gross t o n s u n d e r e n e m y control or useful to t h e e n e m y have
been sunk.
Also s o m e 53 ships, totalling 320,000 gross tons, have been placed u n d e r protective custody
in U n i t e d S t a t e s and South A m e r i c a n p o r t s to prevent sabotage by t h e i r crews.
A P P E N D I X Y.
Casualties to H.M. Auxiliary Yessels and to Naval Personnel.
The following casualties have occurred to H . M . A u x i l i a r y P a t r o l vessels
during the period under review :—
May 15.—M.T.B. 50 damaged by a i r c r a f t in the Dover S t r a i t s and
towed into harbour.
May 18.—H.M. D r i f t e r Jewel sunk by mine in Belfast L o u g h w i t h the
loss of all the crew, and the Balloon B a r r a g e Vessel Hilda was damaged by
mine off Liverpool.
May 19.—H.M. Trawlers Darthema a n d Commutator damaged by air
attack in Lyme Bay.
The following casualties to naval personnel have been reported —
Officers : Killed 8, missing 1, prisoners of w a r 2, wounded 4.
R a t i n g s : Killed 71, missing 13, prisoners of war, 119.
Operational Aircraft Battle Casualties. 0600 hours, Thursday, 15th May, 1941, to 0600 hours, Thursday, 22nd May, 1941. Metropolitan Area. British
In the Air.
10
15
Bombers
Fighters
Coastal
Total
On the
Ground.
25
N u m b e r of pilots k n o w n to be safe, 6.
German.
Probably
Destroyed.
1
2
1
Destroyed.
3
19
5
Bombers
Fighters
Miscellaneous
Damaged.
3
17
1
27
Total
No a c c o u n t is t a k e n of aircraft destroyed on the ground.
Of t h e above totals, 2 fighters were destroyed by A.A. fire.
21
Middle East.
British
In the Air.
1
15
1
Bombers...
F i g h t e r s ...
Coastal ...
Total
On the
17
Ground.
3
5
8
I n addition to the above t o t a l s 1 aircraft w a s lost in action and 5 aircraft were destroyed on
the ground in F . T . S . ( I r a q ) .
German.
Destroyed.
6
15
B o m b e r s ...
F i g h t e r s ...
Miscellaneous
Probably
Destroyed.
3
2
10
Damaged.
o
Total
29
15
Of t h e above totals, 4 bombers, 2 fighters and 5 miscellaneous aircraft were destroyed,
and 2 miscellaneous aircraft were probably destroyed by A.A. fire.
Italian Aircraft Losses: Nil.
A P P E N D I X VII.
Air Attacks on Enemy Territory in Europe.
Extracts from Recent Raid Assessment Reports.
The following reports of damage have been received d u r i n g the p a s t week
from A i r Reconnaissance and Intelligence sources : —
Germany.
Berlin.—An i n f o r m a n t present in the U n t e r den Linden on the n i g h t of the
9 t h / 1 0 t h A p r i l reports t h a t a t the B r a n d e n b u r g e r Tor end incendiaries fell in
the roadway, b u t further down they fell on the roofs of houses on the north side
of the street. The roofs were set on fire and in some cases premises were b u r n t
out on the top and second floors. No serious attempts were made for about an
hour to deal w i t h incendiaries which fell in the roadway. H . E . bombs fell on a
school and a t h e a t r e near the Reichstag; another fell on a bank building in the
Mittelstrasse, which was entirely destroyed, and another fell in the Hausvogtei
P l a t z (in which the Reichbank is situated), completely destroying a six-storey
tailoring establishment. A delay-action bomb in the Mittelstrasse went off a t
5 in the afternoon of the 10th, a n d in the Lichtenberg district 482 flats had h a d
to be evacuated. A further report concerning t h e " new b o m b " which was
dropped on the 17th/18th A p r i l states t h a t practically every window within half
a mile was broken a n d within 250 y a r d s roofs h a d been lifted off and all window
frames a n d doors blown in.
A n i n f o r m a n t present on the 1 8 t h / 1 9 t h A p r i l observed r e p a i r work
proceeding at both the A n h a l t e r and Stettiner Stations.
One corner of the
Friedrichstrasse Station has been h i t and the W i n t e r P a l a c e Music H a l l nearby
has closed down, all its windows h a v i n g been blown out.
Mannheim.—In
the r a i d on the 5 t h / 6 t h May the R h i n e Bridge was hit a n d
damaged. Traffic over it was restricted. A large mill in Ludwigshaven was still
b u r n i n g the next morning, and the I.G.Farben W o r k s were ringed off by the
military. Ambulances were seen leaving the works for the hospital t h r o u g h o u t
the day.
I n the r a i d on the 2 9 t h / 3 0 t h A p r i l the harbour area was heavily
damaged, 12 river cargo boats were destroyed and a large iron foundry a n d
engineering works was h i t causing casualties among the personnel.
Hamburg.—As
a result of the attacks on the 8 t h / 9 t h , 1 0 t h / 1 1 t h a n d
1 1 t h / 1 2 t h May nearly every p a r t of the city h a s suffered, and in p a r t i c u l a r t h e
district s u r r o u n d i n g the station. The bombs used h a d great explosive effect a n d
the city is said to present a t r a g i c picture. P h o t o g r a p h s taken d u r i n g the a t t a c k
on the n i g h t of the 1 1 t h / 1 2 t h show fires increasing in intensity in t h e A l t o n a
district.
Bremen.—The
raid on the 8 t h / 9 t h May caused considerable damage
property a n d many people were killed or injured.
to
Cologne.-l.xi
a raid on the 3 r d / 4 t h May p a r t of the Deutz W o r k s were
burnt out a n d a textile works was heavily damaged.
Emden.—The
railway lines and goods sheds along the Cobnut C a n a l have
been damaged five times. T h e outer harbour railway station has received three
direct hits and the railway sheds lying to the N o r t h and South thereof four
direct hits. A power station to the North-West has been h i t on two occasions,
causing a complete stoppage for two days each time.
General.—Reliable
informants state t h a t the G e r m a n people are impressed
with the recent scale and weight of R.A.F. attacks, which are stated to be highly
successful. I n Kiel, Mannheim a n d H a m b u r g the authorities have no longer
been able to prevent the i n h a b i t a n t s knowing the extent of the damage. M a n y
rumours are current in Germany about the terrific effect of the latest B r i t i s h
bombs.
France.
Brest-In
the raid on the 4 t h / 5 t h May the Gneisenau received further
serious damage from a direct h i t . I t is said t h a t both battle cruisers have
received damage t h a t will necessitate at least two months' r e p a i r work.
Norway.
I n the a t t a c k on the aerodrome at Sola on the n i g h t of the 5 t h / 6 t h May two
barracks were destroyed a n d two damaged by incendiary bombs. One of the
h a n g a r s was severely damaged by a bomb which h i t the ground 10 metres away,
demolishing one of the walls. E i g h t a i r c r a f t in the h a n g a r were damaged.
The following information of damage has been received from P r i s o n e r of
W a r Sources a n d should be t r e a t e d w i t h reserve :—
Berlin.—A P / W who visited Berlin in M a r c h stated that, in h i s opinion,
r a i d damage was much more serious t h a n h a d been a d m i t t e d in official com­
muniques. A German officer, who was in Berlin about the same time, declared
t h a t the R . A . F . could be expected to arrive punctually about 2300 hours. Shortly
before this, all cafes and places of amusement were closed and trams and buses
were crammed w i t h people h u r r y i n g home.
Bremen.—Heavy
damage is reported to have been caused to the Focke-Wulf
aircraft factory a n d 300 Kondor wings are said to have been destroyed. A large
p a r t of G e r m a n y ' s remaining stocks of coffee was stored in warehouses at Bremen
which were h i t a n d set on fire last J a n u a r y . The population of Bremen and
H a m b u r g are becoming increasingly nervous and dissatisfied, and are unable to
work properly owing to lack of sleep. Although much overtime is worked, and
wages are higher t h a n ever before, this confers little advantage owing to lack of
goods available for purchase.
Wilhelmshaven.—It
is reported t h a t entire roads have been destroyed, the
J a c k m a n n bridge and the street leading to it have disappeared, and the
Konigstrasse, the Roonstrasse, and a swing bridge have been damaged. I t is
impossible to get ships out of the harbour because of damage to the locks.
Kiel.—Much d a m a g e is reported, and i t is said t h a t i n an attack towards the
end of F e b r u a r y 600-700 people were killed.