Government Code and Cypher School: Signals Intelligence Passed to the Prime Minister, Messages and Correspondence

A file of signals intelligence reports, messages, and correspondence issued by the Government Code and Cypher School and sent by the head ('C') of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. This file includes the following reports on North Africa: that the German Air Force (GAF) reports the Panzer Army's line as Sormann-Azzizia-the road fork south of Castel Benito-the eastern edge of Tripoli; that the Allied main body of forces is near Tarhuna, on January 22; of Allied air raids on rear air fields in the Gabes-Ben Gardane area; of there being no effective fighter protection; that Elassa air field is unserviceable because of sand drifts; that the Panzer Army is planning a swift withdrawal; of the Panzer Army in Tripoli's defensive position; that Italian forces are covering to the south of Zuara; that the GAF battle HQ is transferring to Zuara; a list of the aircraft available for operations, on January 22; the Flak Group at Tunis report an Allied air raid on a Tunis air field, with no prior warning received because of the failure of FREYA equipment, on January 22; that the Allied Southern Group, infiltrating the mountains south-east of Castel Benito, was beaten off south of Azzizia; of numerous air raids on Castel Benito; a 5th Panzer Army report for January 19, that an Allied armoured force was beaten off west of Heidous; of Allied concentrations in the De Jefna station area, to the north of Medjez El Bab, in the south of the Medjerda sector, and north and west of Bou Arada; that French Foreign troops are stubbornly defending Dj Solbia; that French desert troops are thrusting east-north-east towards Oubari; and that French Camel troops are preparing to attack Ghat; of orders for continuous reconnaissances to establish the presence of Allied forces for a possible attack on Gabes, Sfax or Sousse, on January 22; of a lack of fuel hampering the withdrawal of non-mobile elements of the Panzer Army behind the Mareth position, making a move to Sfax not feasible; that the developed Mareth position is to provide flank protection for Tunisian operations but the Gabes position is to be developed against all eventualities; and of Hitler's orders for the reformation of units in Tunisia, on January 19; on the Mediterranean: that the GAF claim successes against two Allied convoys, on January 21; on the Russian Front: the 4th Air Fleet report the Germans to be withdrawing to Armavir and to Novo Pokrovskaya, on January 21; and the 6th Army reports desperate fighting, but that defence posts west of Gumrak are still holding out, on January 22; Naval Headlines of January 22, covering orders for the Portuguese ship Serpa Pinto to be stopped and searched by a U-boat and a U.S. courier being taken prisoner; that the Admiral Tirpitz was forced to anchor near Stenvik, in Aasfjord, by bad weather, on January 20; that the Panzer Army informed the German Naval authorities that Tripoli is likely to fall within two days, with its harbour blocked, and with demolitions having been prepared, as of January 20; and that submarines carrying fuel and ammunition for Tripoli were diverted to Zuara; from the Japanese minister in Budapest, describing an interview with the Hungarian Vice-Foreign Minister, commenting on the war in Russia and on the Romanian attitude to Bulgaria, on January 15; from the Portuguese minister in Budapest, noting the effect of reports of Hungarian losses south of Voronezh, on January 19; from the Japanese ambassador in Vichy, on negotiations between Germany and France; that 250,000 labourers are to be sent to Germany; that 50,000 prisoners are to be restored to France; on radio and press censorship changes; that Laval was given full powers; and of the arrest by the Gestapo of French servicemen and others, on January 17; and from the Greek ambassador in Ankara, on Bulgaria pressing for an extension of the Bulgarian occupation to Greece; on German-Italian troops being withdrawn from Greece; and on Bulgarian troops' lack of respect towards German officers, on January 18.