OPTEL NO. 33                        
                                                            
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
Following is supplementary 
      resume of operational events covering the period 15th-22nd January 
                              1942.                         
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
                            1.                              
                           NAVAL                            
                                                            
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
Three of the thirteen ships 
      driven ashore in the British Isles have become a total loss. 
      An important convoy was passed through to MALTA and one from 
      MALTA reached ALEXANDRIA. A Tribal class destroyer and one merchant 
      vessel were lost during these operations. Dutch coastal batteries 
    sank two Japanese destroyers during the attack on TARAKA
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
                        Submarines.                         
                                                            
                                                            
       SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> There has been a concentration 
      of U-boats off the North American Coast from NEWFOUNDLAND to 
      VIRGINIA. Smaller groups were working in the North Western Approaches, 
      near the AOORES and off MURMANSK. Activity in the MEDITERRANEAN 
      continued. Shipping losses were moderate. U-Boats sank two ships 
      off the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Our Ocean Homeward Convoys sustained 
      no losses through enemy action. Owing to delays caused by bad 
      weather imports in convoy into United Kingdom for week ending 
      17th were only 180,000 tons of which 41,000 tons were oil. During 
      the period 883 ships were convoyed. The German WINDHUK (16,600 
      tons) and the Italian CONTE GRANDE (23,860 tons) have been taken 
                over by the Brazilians at SANTOS.           
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
                          TOBRUK.                           
                                                            
                                                            
       SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> During 8 months from 12th April 
      1941, the Royal Navy, in maintaining sea communications with 
      TOBRUK, lost 27 H.M. ships including small auxiliary craft and 
      two destroyers and had seven destroyers damaged, Naval casualties 
      were 469 killed or missing and Mercantile Marine 70 killed andmissing. 
      On the other hand, 32,667 personnel were landed and 34,113 embarked 
      in addition to some thousand %s of prisoners of war and wounded. 
      About 34,000 tons of stores and ammunition besides numbers of 
                 tanks and guns were transported.           
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
                          GERMANY,                          
                                                            
                                                            
       SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> The continuance of Russian pressure 
      is making it increasingly difficult for GERMANY to regain the 
      initiative on land. So long as this pressure is maintained, the 
      Germans cannot withdraw and refit enough divisions for such fresh 
   operations as might restore to them the strategic initiat
                                                            
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
                           LIBYA.                           
                                                            
                                                            
       SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> It was not to be expected that 
      a Commander of Rommells quality would remain indefinitely on 
      the defensive at AGHEILA while we made preparations to renew 
      the offensive against him. And he has now attacked our light 
      forward forces with about 90 tanks. (Throughout this battle it 
      has been difficult to assess accurately the enemy's armour ed 
               strength, and Rommel may have either