OPTEL NO.12. Information received up to 7 A.M. 11th January 1942. 1. NAVAL 10th. One of H.M. Canadian destroyers esescoourting a homeward Convoy was severely damaged by weather south of Greenland. Reconnaissance of Brest showed that the PRINO EUGEN had moved from the dry dock. A 2,600 tons Merchant Vessel bound for Colombo was sunk by gun fire from a Submarine 60 miles south of Java on the 4th. 2. MILITARY. Libya. SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> By the afternoon of the 9th, our patrols had reached point some twenty miles south-west of Agheila. The enemy were still holding positions between Agheila and Jedabya which were being engaged by our mobile columns. Malaya. SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> 9th. Our forces north of Kuala Lumpur were heavily engaged and suffered severe casualti Netherlands East Indies SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New">. General Wavell arrived with a nucleus staff at Batavia on the 10th. Russia. The Russian claims to have made further progress in the area West of Kaluga are probably correct. The Germans are counter-attacking South of Kursk. 3.AIR OPERATIONS. Western Front. Brest. 85 tons. Results were mainly unobserved owing to cloud and a smoke screen. 10th/llth. 124 aircraft were sent to Wilhelmshaven and 30 to Emden. A few others were sea-mining, operati %ng against shipping and patrolling over enemy aerodromes. Six aircraft are missing, and trio crashed. At dusk 10th, R.C.A.F. Hudson, operating off the Dutch coast, hit amidships a 7,000 tons merchant vessel in convoy and a 2,000 ton tanker which was left in flames. Enemy activity was on a somewhat larger scale than of late and was chiefly over the Liverpool area. Of 24 aircraft plotted overland, one was shot down by a Beau fighter of R.A.A.F. Mediterranean Libya. SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> 8th/9th and 9th. Successful bombing attacks were made on M.T. near Agheila and several direct hits and near misses were obtained on 75 M.T. moving westwards near Marsa Brega. Halfaya defences were also bombed. Enemy aircraft attacked Tobruk and Gambut by night without causing dama Malta. SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> 9th/10th. 18 enemy aircraft dropped bombs on the Island. Far East Burma. SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New"> 9th. Seven fighters of the American Volunteer Group and six Buffaloes attacked two enemy aerodromes in Siam. Three Japanese aircraft were destroyed on the ground and four others damaged. 10th. Two more enemy aircraft were destroyed at Mesod Aerodrome. Malaya SIOE="-1" FACE="Courier New">. 9th. We demolished Kuala Lumpur aerodrome. Our bombers attacked the railway, warehouses and shipping at Singora and successfully bombed the aerodromes at Ipoh and Sungei Patani. Large fires were started at all these objectives. Two of our aircraft are missing. On the 10th our fighters destroyed an enemy bomber. Enemy aircraft attacked the mail train to Singapore on the 10th and caused a few casualties. |