Copy No. 11
 
      
OPTEL No. 33
 
      Information received up to 7 a.m., 12 December, 1941.
 
      
 
 
(I) 
NAVAL
 
      MEDITERRANEAN. 
A British submarine sank an escorted 15,000 
      ton merchant ship 60 miles South West of NAVORINO yesterday afternoon. 
      On the 7th H.M. submarine torpedoed a merchant ship of the RAMB 
      class 3,700 tons which was entering SUDA BAY. On the 10th a British 
      cruiser bombarded DERNA and shipping in the harbour at close 
      range. A British gunboat successfully bombarded the road 13 miles 
      West of TOBRUK on the nights of 6th/7th and 7th/8th. A British 
      trawler disappeared without trace and is presumed to have been 
      sunk by submarine whilst on patrol off GIBRALTAR yesterday.
 
      
 
 
FAR EAST
. Ninety officers and 1,195 ratings have been 
      saved from PRINCE OF WALES and forty-three officers and 858 ratings 
      from REPULSE. The Navy Department WASHINGTON announce that one 
      Japanese light cruiser, one destroyer and ten aircraft were destroyed 
      during the attack on WAKE ISLAND on the 9th. It is reported that 
      the Japanese battleship HARUNA about 29,300 tons was hit by bombs 
      off LUOON on the 10th. Enemy aircraft attacked. NAURU Island 
      yesterday afternoon and severely damaged the Wireless Station. 
      In the attack on homeward convoy reported yesterday, two medium 
      sized merchant vessels were sunk (one British, the other Egyptian). 
      It is feared that a third ship of smaller tonnage has also been 
      sunk.
 
      
 
 
(II) 
MILITARY
 
      LIBYA. On the morning of the 10th ACROMA was reported clear of 
      the enemy and our troops advancing northwards had reached the 
      TOBRUK - DERNA road. About noon enemy M.T. totalling about 1,000 
      vehicles and dispersed over some sixty square miles, were reported 
      West of ACROMA moving West and North West. Our forces took over 
      300 prisoners, some guns and much M.T. mostly from the Italian 
      Trieste Division. By the evening, although operations were hindered 
      by a wide spread sandstorm, we were close to GAOALA where there 
      were indications that the Eastern defence %s were occupied by the 
      enemy.
 
      
 
 
FAR EAST
 
      MALAYA
. In the North East our forces have withdrawn to a 
      position covering MACHANG aerodrome about thirty miles South 
      of KOTA BHARU. Enemy activity confined to patrols. On the KEDAH 
      frontier, North West MALAYA, enemy infiltration has been going 
      on and our troops have withdrawn to pre-arranged positions.