Page 1795

CONFIDENTIAL

NAVY DEPARTMENT

Office of Chief of Naval Operations

Office of Naval Intelligence

Washington

CONFIDENTIAL Copy No. 83Serial No. 24November 15, 1941

 

FORTNIGHTLY SUMMARY OF CURRENT NATIONAL SITUATIONS

 

(Information concerning Anti-Axis Belligerents is omitted from this publication due to its wide dissemination by mail.)

Because of the CONFIDENTIAL nature of the sources from which some of the information embodied in the text of this publication issues, and because of the CONFIDENTIAL channels through which it is transmitted to the Division of Naval Intelligence, it is appropriate to invite particular attention to the CONFIDENTIAL character of this publication.

T. S. WilkinsonCaptain, U. S. NavyDirectory of Naval Intelligence 

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CONFIDENTIAL

Serial No. 24December 1, 1941

 

Fortnightly Summary of Current National Situations

A. The Diplomatic Situation

 

1. Japan

The approaching crisis in United States-Japanese relations over-shadowed all other developments in the Far East during the period.

Saburo Kurusu, former Japanese Ambassador to Berlin, is flying to Washington with compromise Japanese proposals. No one apparently expects his mission to succeed, the envoy himself reportedly expressing extreme pessimism. American spokesmen, including Secretary Knox, have indicated that the United States will not budge from her position. Prime Minister Churchill warned that if war breaks out between Japan and America, Britain will declare war on Japan "within the hour." The United States is preparing to withdraw the marine detachments from China. The Japanese press continued to rail at Britain and the United States.

Japan protested to Panama against treatment of Japanese subjects in Panamanian territory. Panama rejected the protest. Japan also protested to Russia against floating mines in the sea of Japan which sank a Japanese passenger vessel in Korean waters.

Russia and Japan reached agreement on demarcation of the Mongolia-Manchukuo border in the Lake Buir Nor area.

 

2. Germany

In accordance with tradition, Hitler returned with prominent members of his Party to the Buergerbraeukeller in Munich on November 8, 1941, to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch. In his speech, Hitler declared that he had ordered the German Navy to fire on American ships only after being attacked. Orders have been issued, however, to torpedo any ships carrying war materials to Britain.

In a recent magazine article, Dr. Goebbels tells the German people that it is comparatively unimportant when the war will end and all-important how it will end. The article is calculated to steel the nation to endure further hardships and to be prepared for a continuation

 

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of military effort for an indefinite period. The New York Times calls the article "a rare concession of the possibility of defeat."

It has been reported that eighty per cent of the Iranians are pro-Axis and would welcome German intervention as a means of securing liberation from Russian and British control.

Karl Schnurre, Minister in the German Foreign Office, returned to Stockholm early in November. His return was followed by a report that Sweden had acceded to the wishes of the Reich and would not permit ten Norwegian vessels in Swedish ports to be returned to Norwegian owners.

Germany is pressing Bulgaria to assume police duties in Serbia and thus release the two or three German divisions engaged in putting down the Serbian uprisings.

Construction of a new highway and railroad line between Hamburg and Copenhagen, via the Islands of Fehmern and Laaland, has been commenced. This new line will shorten the distance between Copenhagen and Hamburg by more than eighty kilometers and will reduce travel time materially between the two cities.

 

3. Italy

The Brazilian Foreign Office announced on November 7th that the proposal for the purchase of Italian ships in Brazilian ports had been accepted by Italy. Eight ships are involved in the transaction for which Italy will receive a non-negotiable credit in the Bank of Brazil, which, when the war ends, will be liquidated, no transfer of funds being involved. The CONTE GRANDE, 23,861 tons, and three other Italian vessels, which have not discharged their original cargoes, were not included in the proposal.

On October 31st, the Yugoslav vessel TOMISLAV, which has been at Shanghai since April, was boarded and seized by a company of Italian Marines. The master and crew members were threatened with pistols and forced to abandon the ship and their personal effects. This is the second incident involving the vessel, the first occurring last April when the Italians seized the ship, claiming it had been

 

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purchased by Lloyd Triestino. This attempt failed, however, when the Japanese intervened. Since the second seizure, the Italians have been busy removing the last vestiges of Yugoslav ownership and the funnel is being repainted with the colors of Lloyd Triestino. In connection with the reported purchase of the vessel by Italian interests, a Japanese naval spokesman stated that under the Chinese Maritime code, the transfer of the vessel would not be valid unless it was duly registered with the Chinese Government.

Because of the intolerable conditions existing in Croatia, the Duke of Spoleto (King Aimone of Croatia) has abdicated the throne of that country.

 

4. France

The reprisal executions of Frenchmen, followed by Marshall Petain's appeal to the people, appear to have had the desired result, the only recent act of terrorism being the suspected sabotage of an Orleans passenger train in a Paris station. Little progress has been made in Franco-German collaboration, however, and it is reported that Adolph Hitler has become dissatisfied with what he characterizes as the "ambiguous" attitude of the Vichy government. It is thought that under renewed German pressure France must agree both to military and naval collaboration in French Africa and to the early retirement of General Weygand from his North African command. This latter demand has the support of Admiral Darlan and Minister of the Interior Pucheu. Petain, attempting to gain time, sent General Huntziger, Minister of War, to Africa to make a survey of local opinion, but it is felt that the Marshal must yield eventually and agree to Weygand's recall. De Leuss, personal representative of Weygand in Vichy, already has been removed from his post.

(Note: General Huntziger was killed in a plane crash on November 12, 1941, while returning to Vichy from this mission to Africa.)

Indications point to an increase of German activity in Tunisia. Two reputedly Rumanian engineers have been in that colony making surveys of the general terrain, highways, bridges, etc., and the French Resident General, Admiral Esteva, has gone to Vichy for consultations.

 

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The Vichy Government has announced that French Somaliland officials had agreed to negotiate with the British regarding the use of the port of Djibuti and the railroad linking the port of Addis Ababa. However, Colonial Secretary Admiral Platon, after a hurried trip to Djibuti, stated that the harbor works and railroad would be blown up before the port was surrendered to the British.

Diplomatic relations have been competed by the United States with Great Britain for sending a $1,000,000 Red Cross cargo of milk, clothing and medicines to unoccupied France. Arrangements still must be completed with Germany and Italy for safe conduct of the vessel.

The Vichy government has protested to London against the capture of a convoy of five French merchant vessels en route to Madagascar from France. The British action was believed based on the possibility that the vessels carried tin and rubber from French Indo-China destined for the Nazis. Vichy, however, denies that there was contraband aboard. The 4,578-ton freighter SENNEVILLE was reported damaged by Royal Air Force planes on November 3, while in Tunisian territorial waters.

It has been reported that the BB RICHELIEU is now looked upon as one of the fixed defenses of Dakar and that there is no intention of having it undergo trial runs.

 

5. Latin America

 

Mexico

The Mexican Government apparently is attempting to take advantage of the desire to eliminate all existing differences between the United States and Mexico quickly, in order to force acceptance of a settlement on the oil companies. Various high officials of the Mexican Government have issued thinly-veiled threats to the oil companies to agree to the negotiated settlement, "or else."

Reports have been received of several Supreme Court decisions which indicate a conservative trend. One decision held that an expropriation of property was in violation of constitutional guarantees in that no payment.

 

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was made of "prompt and fair compensation." This is considered as another indication of government trend away from the leftist policy of the Cardenas administration, as the Supreme Court usually reflects the views of the administration, its decisions being in effect dictated by the executive.

Conservatism is gradually replacing the former communistic policies in the Department of Education, under the new Minister, Bejar Vasquez.

Acceptance of policies regarded as desirable by the United States is apparently greatly impeded by the presence in high governmental posts of officials under Axis influence or motivated by Anti-American sentiments.

Four hundred additional Spanish refugees from Casablanca, Morocco, among them Alcala Zamora, ex-President of Republican Spain, are expected in Vera Cruz.

Sinarquismo and Accion Nacional, two fascist organizations attaining significant strength and numbers, which are apparently under Nazi influence exerted both directly and through the Falange and Spanish-dominated members of the Catholic clergy, constitute a potential danger to internal order in Mexico and to Mexican-United States relations. If recent information that such figures as ex-President Portes Gil and Abelardo Rodriguer, and many other influential Mexicans, are working behind the scenes in these organizations, proves correct, the danger is even more serious than had previously been thought.

 

Guatemala

German propaganda has effectively use Guatemalan economic problems arising from blacklisting of German coffee producers to produce friction between President Ubico and the American Legation. A campaign to discredit the American Military Mission, and have it replaced by a Spanish Mission has been started, but little success has been noted.

 

Costa Rica

Under discussion, according to a recent report, is legislation to permit the registry under Costa Rican flag of American merchant vessels. Little opposition has

 

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appeared, and sentiment trends toward permitting the arming of such vessel. Foreign Minister Echandi of Costa Rica, only pro-German cabinet member, went to Panama, apparently to secure permission of that country for ex-President Arnulfo Arias to live in Costa Rica.

 

Panama

Arnulfo Arias is now in Mexico City. It is reported that he has been offered refuge in Canada, provided that he stays for a minimum of three months. It is doubted that he will accept this offer, as most of his feminine contacts appear to be in Latin America, a factor which has radically influenced his movements hitherto.

The new government in Panama is still somewhat under the control of the national revolutionary party organized by Arnulfo Arias, and contains a number of high officials friendly to Arias, which inspires some doubts as to continuous satisfactory cooperation from the new regime.

Anibal Rios proposes to return to Panama to assert his claim as third designate to the Panamanian presidency.

 

Colombia

A committee of the Colombian Legislature published on November 9 a report on the American Black List and specified that the report itself should be brought to the attention of the foreign officers of the other American Republics. The report is said to have asserted that the United States Government criticized the Black List in the World War as being in violation of the law of nations, and implied that bribery and espionage by foreign service officials were involved in the compilation of the Black List and that the lists themselves are based on acquisitive ambitions.

 

Ecuador

Ecuador has agreed to allow American naval vessels to operate from her waters, but has not publicized the agreement, merely stating that patrols by United States vessels in Ecuadorean waters had been authorized.

 

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Chile

The President of Chile requested leave of absence due to illness, and designated Jeronimo Mendez, head of the Radical Party, as Acting Vice President to administer the executive power in his absence. The Radical Party is the largest element in the Popular Front Government which elected Aguirre Cerda to power. Upon first receiving news of the change it was feared that the Popular Front would be broken up by secession of the Communists, or that the new Vice President would swing so far to the right as to side with the Nazi Conservatives, inasmuch as his Radical Party is the middle of the road element and farther to the right than any other part of the Popular Front which supports the present government. However, as the Communist press has registered approval of the change and recommends increased watchfulness against the Rightist conspiracies of the Nazis, while Conservative members of the legislature have attacked the Acting President, it is believed that the Popular Front will remain intact and Acting President Mendez will not favor the Nazi-dominated Conservatives. Therefore, it would appear that the change would result in greater unity of the forces opposed to Nazism.

 

Peru

Dr. Rafael Larco Herrera, Vice President of Peru, arrived by plane from Rio in Buenos Aires on November 11. It seems significant that he has visited on his current trip the three countries which offered their good offices to re-establish peace between Peru and Ecuador. It is reported that he intends to remain several days in Buenos Aires and confer with Acting President Castillo, the Foreign Minister, and other prominent officials. Vice President Larco provides a democratic window-dressing for Peru to cover up the "behind the scenes" totalitarian methods employed against Ecuador. It appears reasonable to suppose that by his current visit to the three countries offering to mediate in the dispute, that he is trying to discover what fate lies in store for Peru in case mediation is force upon her. Mexico was probably the first country to suggest that step be taken against Peru due to her invasion of Ecuadorean territory. It is interesting to recollect that Mexico dispatched her Minister to Panama on a swing around the circle of South American capitals immediately after the expropriation of the oil fields, probably in order to ascertain what would be the result if consultation were invoked against Mexico.

 

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Indications are not lacking that now, as then, consultation of the other American nations would result in severe criticism of the "aggressor" nation.

 

Argentina

Brazilian Foreign Minister Aranha arrived in Buenos Aires by plane from Rio November 11. Recurrent rumors have been heard that Brazil has been successful in efforts to draw closer to herself her immediate neighbors in a net work of alliances that might be used to exert pressure on Argentina. Argentine official circles do not appear disturbed, however, but say they are fully informed as to what Brazil is doing and see no reason for alarm.

Argentine naval circles are disturbed by fears that the elevation of Dr. Mendez to the Acting Presidency in Chile will obstruct joint Argentine-Chilean defense of the Straits of Magellan.

 

Paraguay

Paraguay has recently had several small naval vessels operating in the combined maneuvers with the Argentina fleet, and Argentina has offered to send a naval mission to Paraguay. The offer is still under consideration, with good prospects of being accepted.

 

Brazil

Foreign Minister Aranha was quoted on November 11 at Porto Alegre as saying that Brazil would not remain neutral if another American nation entered the war. He said, according to the newspaper, "We are, and wish to be, Pan Americanists. We follow the American way. We go along with America's fortunes." Despite these public declarations, he is opposed to the placement of certain Brazilian firms on the Black List and has forbidden temporarily the publication of the latest edition of the Black List in Brazil. He is also at odds with Pan American Airways, probably due to what he considers lack of cooperation in furnishing transportation when desired for his family and his present trip to Chile. News reports from Chile state that he was received most enthusiastically upon his arrival there.

 

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Current action of the Brazilian Government in facilitating use of Brazilian airports by American planes and by reinforcing garrisons in northern Brazil, indicate that President Vargas has decided definitely to throw his influence to Pan American cooperation. The opposition may become desperate, however, and cause open disorders as a result.

 

Trends

 

Military and Naval

There is a marked trend towards military and naval cooperation by the southern countries of South America for mutual defence of their territories. This is exemplified by the joint maneuvers of the Paraguayan and Argentine navies and the plans for joint Argentine-Chilean defense of the Straits of Magellan.

 

Economic

The economic trend is toward increased interchange of commodities between South American countries in an effort to supply the necessities and dispose of the surpluses amongst themselves. There appear to be much hope for considerable success in this direction as, surprisingly enough, in normal times the tendency was to export and obtain manufactured articles in return from Europe, but little commerce was conducted among themselves. Now it has been found that many of the articles formerly obtained from Europe can be obtained from neighboring South American countries which produce them. When projected improvements in communications between South American countries are completed, still further economic interchange will become possible.

 

Totalitarian Penetration

Arnulfo Arias, ex-President of Panama, while in Managua manifested a strong desire to get in communication with a German General in Argentina. This would indicate that Arias also had been involved in contacts with Germans in Argentina, as had the Honduran exiles, to whom Ambassador von Thermann had promised assistance in the contemplated revolt against the present government of Honduras. Fernando Gomez Ayau, Guatemalan police official lent to Panama as Chief of Arias' secret police, has been mentioned in connection with a project to secure arms for the Honduran exiles. It now appears that Arias may have been aware of this and a party to the plot, though the possibility exists that he had requested German aid against the U. S. in Panama.

 

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B. The Japanese Military Situation

Reports of Japanese strength in Indo-China ranged from 43,500 to 120,000. It is believed that actually there are about 60,000 Japanese troops in Indo-China, which number is being increased slowly. China fears an attack on Yunnan, and Thailand fears attack. Both governments are attempting to obtain British-U.S. military (particularly air) support. It does not appear that Japan is yet strong enough in Indo-China to attack Yunnan or even Thailand.

 

C. The Japanese Naval Situation

The Combined Fleet remains in home waters, nearly in full force in the Inland Sea. The only large combatant vessels believed immobilized are the HARUNA (BB) and TAKAO (CA). The Fleet aircraft units, which are sent to southern Formosa about two weeks ago, have been returned to home waters. Thus no major units are now off their regular stations.

With troop transports and cargo vessels continuously moving down to Indo-China ports small naval craft are providing escort. There is, however, no indication of any large naval concentration at present in any area.

Naval aircraft in Indo-China are being augmented. These aircraft are being drawn not only from Hainan and China coast bases, but probably also from units normally shore-based in Japan. Accurate numbers are not available.

A naval guard ship is now stationed in the Tsugaru Straits which challenges all maritime traffic passing through the straits.

The IZUMO, a converted aircraft carrier, originally laid down as a passenger liner of 27,000 gross tons, was launched in Kobe on October 30. New construction in general remains slow due to lack of materials but evidence is becoming stronger that one battleship will be completed very soon.

An increasing number of merchant vessels are being requisitioned by the Navy since the disruption of Japan's overseas trade. It is believed that all merchant tankers are being armed with two guns each.

 

D. The Chinese Military Situation

Japanese troops evacuated Chengchow, Honan, which city they recently captured. Skirmishing occurred at scattered points in north China and Suiyan, along the Yangtze, near Shanghai, and near Canton.

 

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The Soviet government has informed Chungking that no more Russian war materials can be shipped to China.

 

E. The German Military and Air Situations

 

1. Military

 

Strength

No new information regarding the strength of the German Army has been received since the last Fortnightly Summary.

 

Distribution

No new information regarding the over-all distribution of the German Army has been received since the last Fortnightly Summary.

 

Operations

There has been no decisive change in the relative positions of the opposing armies along the Russian front. The Russian apparently have held their lines with success practically everywhere, except in the Crimea.

 

Finnish Sector - To date all Finnish-German attempts to reach the Murmansk-Leningrad Railway in the Murmansk and Kandalaksha sectors have been frustrated. West of Murmansk the Germans were again driven back to the Litza River. A renewed Finnish-German thrust is rumored to have gotten underway, aiming to cut this rail line at, or below, Kandalaksha. There are, as yet, no definite indications as to the progress of this effort.

Due to their failures in northern Finland, the Germans are now reported to have detailed a group of their army officers to take instructions in winter and forest warfare at the (Finnish) Linsey Military School.

Except for a limited advance up along the Murmansk Railway to a point approximately 90 miles north of Potroznvodsk, operations in Eastern Karelia were practically at a standstill. Off the western shore of the Karelian Isthmus, the Finns were reported to have recaptured Koivisto Island fortress and other small islands in the Gulf of Finland. Hangoe is still under siege.

 

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North-Central Sector - The siege of Leningrad continues. Both Russians and Germans claim to have repelled one another's attacks. A reliable source reports famine conditions inside Leningrad. A move to cut off a Soviet route of supply to the city (via the Vologda railway to Ladoga, and via this lake to the city) was undertaken by the Germans. Moving eastward from their bridgeheads across the Volkhov River, German forces were reported to have seized the rail junction of Tichvin last week (about 100 miles ESE of Leningrad. The Soviets partially confirmed this move when they claimed to have stopped German attacks 25 miles south of Tichvin.

 

Central Sector - The basic situation around Moscow appears to have remained unchanged during the past two to three weeks. After considerable fighting, the front appears to have been stabilized in the Kalinin area. At Volokolamsk successive Russian counter-attacks are said (by the Soviets) to have resulted in the encircling of German forces of considerable size. From Mozhaisk, through Nara-Fominsk, Maloyaroslavets and Scrpuhkov, to the region about Tula, heavy fighting apparently has failed to make much of an impression on the Soviet defenses. The Germans denied a report that their forces had captured Tula.

 

Southern Sector - Little detailed information on operations along the front from Orel to Rostov has been received. While minor territorial gains may have been made by the Germans and their Allies, no further cities or areas of prime importance are known to have been lost by the Russians. It is quite possible, however, that the Germans have been busy preparing another major offensive, designed to carry them to the Don, or perhaps lower Volga Rivers.

 

Crimean Sector - Considerably gains were made by the German forces invading the Crimea. Simferopol, Theodosia and Yalta have fallen, and the defending Red land forces split and driven back in the directions of Sevastopol and Kerch. The Red Black Sea Fleet was forced to abandon its Sevastopol operating base. Severe fighting is now in progress on the Kerch Peninsula, and on the outskirts of Sevastopol.

 

South-East - Full load German trucks have been reported moving into Bulgaria. This may indicate ammunition and equipment for a possible German Caucasus thrust to be launched from Bulgarian shores. According to the latest reports, three German division are now reported stationed in Bulgaria.

 

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The total mobilized strength of the Bulgarian Army now is reported to have reached 270,000 men, including 6,000 now in process of mobilization. Two Nazi SS Divisions, hitherto assigned to the forces of occupation in Yugoslavia, are now reported being relieved by Bulgarian Army units. It is not known where the two SS Divisions are to be sent.

South - An unconfirmed report states that the Germans are organizing four light armored and 10 motorized divisions for tropical service. Another report claims that 150,000 young German Army recruits are being trained and acclimated fro tropical service in the Bordeaux-Hendaye area.

A reliable source reports the transit of German colonial forces to Italy, estimated at 8 divisions. A recent unconfirmed report from supposedly reliable sources claims that German forces in North Africa have been increased from 40,000 to 70,000 men. Light tank units are also said to have been moved into Greece by way of Yugoslavia, for eventual transportation by plane to Libya.

 

2. Naval

 

Distribution

 

Name

Ship
Type

Date

Location

TIRPITZ

BB

November 9

Kiel

SCHARNHORST

BB

October 27

Brest

GNEISENAU

BB

October 27

Brest

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

OBB

November 9

Hamburg

SCHLESIEN

OBB

October 7

Central Baltic

GRAF ZEPPELIN

CV

October 12

Departed Stettin

ADMIRAL SCHEER

CA

November 7

Swinemunde

LUETZOW

CA

November 9

Kiel

SEYDLITZ

CA

October 12

Bremen

PRINZ EUGEN

CA

October 27

Brest

ADMIRAL HIPPER

CA

October 17

Off Sassnitz

NUERNBERG

CL

November 5

One of these two off Sassnitz; location of other unknown.

LEIPZIG

CL

November 5

KOELN

CL

September 29

Gdynia

EMDEN

CL

November 9

Kiel

4 Units

DD

September 24

Northern Norway

1 Unit

DD

September 24

Bergen

5-7 Units

DD

September 24

In the Baltic

3 Units

DD

September 24

North Sea ports

2 Units

DD

October 24

Cherbourg

Remaining Units

DD

-

Unknown

150 Units (estimated)

SS

-

Operating out of German, Norwegian and French Atlantic ports.

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Operations

Two German submarines are now reported to be operating in the Aegean. German naval off-shore patrols in Greek waters are said to be have been increased.

On November 4, some 1,100 German naval seamen were reported stationed at Naples. Hotel Bopcadile on Ponypyazza Baccadileone, Rome, is now German submarine headquarters, which will control German submarines now entering the Mediterranean.

 

3. Air

 

Strength and Disposition

No further information regarding German overall plane strength and production has been received since distribution of the last Fortnightly Summary.

A reliable report just received put Nazi air strength in the Mediterranean, on October 21, at:

 

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Bombers

Dive Bombers

Fighters

Reconnaissance

Coastal Aircraft

Cyrenaica

30

70

80

10

-

S. Greece

80

-

-

25

-

Crete

-

20

10

-

25

Sicily

-

-

10

-

-

 

The total number of German planes available in the Mediterranean area is estimated at 380.

Operations

 

West - No substantial change in German air operations has been noted since distribution of the last Fortnightly Summary.

 

Eastern Front - There is reason to infer that the Nazis may be getting ready to curtail operations along the Moscow section of the front during the winter.

A shortage of gasoline at forward stations of German fighter commands is holding up fighter operations around Rostov. These forward stations are supplied by air transport.

The strength of German close support forces has been kept up well. Replacements have been made available to those units, several of which have gone into action above their normal strength.

Though Nazi losses in the war with Russia as regards most equipment and material have not been overly severe, this done not apply to the loss of German aircraft which has been serious.

From German sources come the following claims of air action.

(1) Finns sank Russian troop ship and hit PT in the Gulf of Finland.

(2) Raids on the Caucasus area.

(3) During week ending November 9:

             1 warship sunk

            17 transports sunk

             2 warships damaged

            29 merchantmen damaged

 

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Mediterranean - No information of a change in the basic air situation has been received since the last Fortnightly Summary.

 

Personalities - Germany's No. 1 flyer, Lieutenant Colonel Moeldors, until recently in Russia, has been sent to Greece and Crete to assume charge of large scale operations against the Suez Canal, Alexandria and the British Mediterranean Fleet, according to a recent report.

The Flying Corps of Lieutenant General Flugbeil is reported taking part in the offensive in the Crimea.

 

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F. Italian Military, Naval and Air Situations

 

1. Military

 

Libya

No unusual military operations have taken place in the Western Desert area. Patrol activities continue and there are indications that the Axis have increased substantially their forces in recent weeks.

 

East Africa

British forces in Abyssinia have encountered some opposition from native forces who have been harassing their line of communications along the Sardo-Dessie road. Lately the natives shifted to the northwest toward Alomato and communications have been reestablished.

Recently three Italian battalions were moved out of the Gorgora-Ceiga sector west of Gondar, eastward of the line Meldiba-Deva.

 

Russian Front

Four Black Shirt battalions entrained at Rome on November 3 for the Russian front. These were specially selected men who have recently undergone a period of special training in Italy so that their technical-military efficiency is at present considered high. The force wears the insignia "M" and are known as the "Mussolini Battalions". The greater part of them are veterans of the Italian campaigns in East Africa, Spain and Greece.

The many reports of 1,000,000 men, 350,000 men, 25 divisions, etc., being sent to Russia, can be boiled down to the 4 divisions already at the Front, the above token Black Shirt force and the 4 divisions earmarked, which may or may not actually leave.

 

2. Naval

On the night of November 8/9, an Italian convoy, consisting of ten merchant ships and an escort of 2 10,000-ton, 8-inch gun, TRENTO class cruisers and 4 destroyers, was attacked by a British naval force of

 

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two light cruisers and two destroyers. In the ensuing action, nine Italian merchant ships were sunk, a tanker left burning and abandoned, and two Italian destroyers were sunk. On the following night, a British submarine sank one destroyer and damaged another, east of Messina.

The badly damaged Italian battleship CAVOUR is now in the water off the Eastern Drydock Arsenal of Lloyd Trestino at Trieste. The 10,000-ton cruiser BALZANO, which was damaged seriously in August, is now undergoing repairs at Genoa. The battleships LITTORIO and VITTORIO VENETO are still at Naples and the DORIA and DUILIO are at Taranto. The light cruiser EUGENIO DI SAVOIA is at La Spezia undergoing overhaul. Of the twenty-three submarines which were basing recently at Bordeaux, only six are left, the balance having returned to Italy.

 

3. Air

The latest disposition of the Italian Air Force is as follows:

Type                                        Libya          Aegean      Balkans             Sardinia            Total

Fighters                                    230             40              110                   60                   440

Bombers                                  60              16              25                    50                   151

Torpedo Bombers                    10                                                                                10

Bomber   Reconnaissance        50              40                                       20                   110

Dive Bombers                          20                                                                                20

Reconnaissance                        30                               80                    10                   120

Transport                                 25                                                                                25

       TOTAL                            425             96              215                   140                  876

 

**Serviceability 60%

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(FROM: EXHIBITS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE, PHA, PT. 15, EXHIBIT NO. 80 PP. 1774-1836 )