OPTEL NO. 37 
 
      Information received up to 7 A.M., 31st January, 1942.
 
      
 
 
1. 
NAVAL
 
      One of H.M. Trawlers was sunk in the Humber yesterday by a Junkers 
      88 which was later shot
 
      down. Another is overdue at Gibraltar and must be considered 
      lost and a third was torpedoed
 
      off Bardia on 29th. A small Dutch ship was sunk by bombs at Belawan 
      (Sumatra) on 22nd.
 
      
 
 
2. 
MILITARY
 
      LIBYA
. During the 29th enemy mobile columns were operating 
      towards Tocra and an enemy mobile
 
      force was in contact with our troops between Msus and Charruba, 
      but withdrew. Our patrols
 
      were active west and southwest of Mekili and Tengeder but there 
      was no major engagement
 
      during the day.
 
      
MALAYA
. 4.30 P.M., 30th. Little to report. In the western 
      sector ambushes laid by one of the
 
      Indian infantry brigades inflicted satisfactory enemy casualties.
 
      
BURMA
. 30th. Fighting has again broken out two miles east 
      of Moulmein on the Atarah River.
 
      The enemy in the Moulmein area has been reinforced both on the 
      east and north.
 
      
CELEBES
. Enemy has landed at Buton.
 
      
RUSSIA
. The Russians have made further progress north 
      of Smolensk towards Vitebsk and also
 
      in the Donetz sector towards Dniepropetrovsk. 
 
      
 
 
3. 
AIR OPERATIONS
 
      Western front. 29th/30th. No aircraft attacked the TIRPITO owing 
      to thick cloud and severe
 
      icing. One Halifax came down in the sea, crew rescued. 30th/31st. 
      A Hudson hit a 900 ton
 
      enemy ship off Cuxhaven. 
 
      
LIBYA
. 29th. Sandstorms restricted operations.
 
      29th/30th. Eight Malta Wellingtons attacked mechanical transport 
      and other military
 
      objectives between Tripoli (L) and Buerat el Hsun.
 
      Mediterranean. 29th/30th. Naval aircraft torpedoed a 5,000 ton 
      ship probably a tanker going
 
      towards Tripoli (L) and set her on fire.
 
      
MALAYA
. 29th. Two enemy attacks on Seletar aerodrome, 
      Singapore Island, rende %red it
 
      unserviceable, The first attack was intercepted and twenty-seven 
      bombers jettisoned their
 
      bombs. Two of them were destroyed and a third probably destroyed. 
      Considerable damage was
 
      caused by incendiaries at Kulai seventeen miles northwest of 
      Johore Bahru.