OPTEL No. 41
 
      Following is supplementary resumt of operational events covering 
      the period 22nd-29th January, 1942.
 
      
 
 
1. 
NAVAL
 
      Casualties reported in the loss of H.M.S. BARHAM were 56 officers 
      and 808 ratings. 717 ratings
 
      are missing from H.M.S. NEPTUNE. All ships were successfully 
      evacuated from BENGHAOI. Over
 
      forty U-boats were operating in the North Atlantic, a large number 
      of them being concentrated
 
      off the North American Coast. Others have been reported off BERMUDA, 
      AOORES, West of IRELAND,
 
      and near GIBRALTAR. The estimated strength of the German submarine 
      fleet on 3rd January was
 
      230, of which about sixty had been commissioned in the last three 
      months. Shipping casualties
 
      were heavier than in recent weeks largely due to submarine attacks 
      off the East coast of North
 
      America where 17 ships were torpedoed. In Eastern waters two 
      ships were sunk by submarine, two
 
      by aircraft and one by mine. Late notification of losses sustained 
      in the previous week also
 
      contributed to the increased total, imports in convoy into the 
      United Kingdom during the week
 
      ending 24th were l,014,000 tons including 367,000 tons of oil. 
      Estimated Japanese losses which
 
      at present can only be approximate are as follows: (First figure 
      sunk, second figure damaged.)
 
      
 
 
Battle ships                  One              Two
 
      Cruisers                       Three           Eight
 
      Destroyers                   Seven           Four
 
      Aircraft Carriers         Nil                One
 
      Merchant Vessels        Thirty-two    No estimate
 
      
 
 
2. 
MILITARY
 
      GERMANY
. While the fighting on the Russian front continues 
      at its present intensity, no large
 
      transfers of German divisions are possible but some minor tendencies 
      are observable. The
 
      number of German divisions in the Balkans has probably been reduced 
      and it is even possible
 
      that none remain in RUMANIA and BULGARIA. Every ava %ilable division 
      has been sent to the
 
      Russian front including probably at least one from YUGOSLAVIA, 
      its place being taken there by
 
      Bulgarian troops. About seven low category divisions in FRANCE 
      appear to have changed places
 
      with an equal number of tired divisions from the Russian front. 
      There has been some slight
 
      movement of troops from Western France to the stretch of coast 
      between DUNKIRK and HAVRE which
 
      serves to confirm the absence of any intention in the near future 
      against SPAIN. Lastly but
 
      possibly of considerable importance, one German division together 
      with G.H.Q. troops, anti-
 
      aircraft regiments, etc., may perhaps have arrived in ITALY from 
      GERMANY. Reports of one or
 
      two new German armoured divisions being created in FRANCE probably 
      refer merely to tank
 
      training schools. The German army remains to the utmost in coping 
      with its tasks.