Secret

Sunday 8th February 1942

(Continued)

Operations and Movements.

TRUANT arrived BATAVIA.

ENTERPRISE sailed from Colombo for Rangoon with a Royal Marines force of 90 officers and men.

FALMOUTH, TEVIOTBANK, and PEARLEAF sailed from Trincomalee for Colombo.

WESTPOINT and WAKEFIELD, escorted by QUEEN OLGA, sailed from Colombo for Bombay.

HOLLYHOCK arrived Durban: ASTER and VERBENA left Durban for Mauritius.

ROYAL SOVEREIGN reported a submarine off Trincomalee, but this proved to be a HOXA on patrol: ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived Trincomalee safely.

EMERALD arrived Madras.

HERMES left MAURITIUS for Comombo.

REINA DEL PACIFICO left Colombo for Durban with evacuees, etc.

ABDACOM said there had been reports of enemy aircraft carriers South of Java, but these were not regarded as reliable.

Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, said that PORPOISE could not be spared from Mediterranean for minelaying in ABDA area. (1215/7).

Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet represented to Admialty desirablilty of thorough refit for GLASGOW. (0527/8)

Rear Admiral MALAYA advised not sending large slow tankers to Singapore (0722/6) and reported that 4 Allied ships had recently been lost in Singapore minefields - suggested warning be sent out (0722/7). Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet informed Admiralty (0435Z/8) that he was no longer prepared to send large liners into Singapore area in view of increasing scale of air attack

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