DAMAGE TO VESSELS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 44, 2 December 1940, Page 5

DAMAGE TO VESSELS

ONE SEEN TO BE SINKING

(United Press Association —Copyright! (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, December 1. An Admiralty communique states: “In the early hours of this morning an offensive patrol of our motor torpedo-boats attacked and damaged a large German supply ship off the Dutch coast. “The German steamship Santos, 5943 tons, sent an S 0 S stating that she had been torpedoed off the mouth of the Scheldt. “All our motor-boats returned safely. One of them received superficial damage from gun-fire from the escorting German warships. Only two men were wounded. “In another part of the North Sea our light forces last n i„ht chased off a German E-boat patrol, which escaped in the darkness owing to its superior ‘.peed.” —British Official Wireless. An Air Ministry Communique states: “Last Friday Coastsri Command aircraft successfully torpedoed an enemy supply ship oft the Dutch coast. “Another successful torpedo attack, the third in 72 hours, involving over 20,000 tons of enemy supply shipping, was made last Friday by Beaufort aircraft of the Coastal Command. A vessel of 800(Mafhs was struck in the stern and sank off the northcoastof Holland. Earlier in the day it had been sighted inaw *[ l ‘ es ??*? d convoy of small ships. When the Beaufort went out to the attack the pilot found that there was practically no cloud cover. Nevertheless, he came down to attack and flew through a storm of anti-aircraft fire, and before he left the spot the ship was sinking by the stern. Later a patrol found it with y its upper works aWash.—British Official Wireless. \ '