-2-
 
      Aircraft was subsequently intercepted and shot down.
 
      
 
 
Early this morning considerable enemy air activity. Bombs 
      were dropped on or near aerodromes and at an ironworks. Also 
      in north-east England near Liverpool, Manchester, and in Essex 
      and Hampshire.
 
      
 
 
There was no serious damage and casualties slight. Mine laying 
      suspected off east coast. Weather flights are being carried out 
      fairly regularly over western approaches and including southern 
      Ireland.
 
      
 
 
3. 
Naval.
 armed merchant cruiser "Transylvania" 
      torpedoed off northern Ireland and sank early this morning.
 
      
 
 
Reported Dutch steamer 9,300 tons captured by German raider 
      in south Atlantic July 1st and arrived Lorient with armed guard 
      July 18th.
 
      
 
 
4. 
Middle East.
 Egypt. On August 8th a ground W/T set 
      simulated reconnaissance aircraft being despatched on patrol, 
      but instead thirteen Gladiators were sent across Libyan frontier. 
      As hoped, they found twenty-seven enemy fighters waiting. Our 
      fighters attacked and destroyed fifteen enemy aircraft. We lost 
      two Gladiators.
 
      
 
 
Same day, one enemy aircraft bombed Mersamatruh without causing 
      damage.
 
      
 
 
Somaliland.
 On August 8th three Blenheims dropped ten 
      hundredweight of bombs among enemy troops in a pass seventy miles 
      south west of Berbera.