SEVEN SHIPS SUNK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 270, 27 August 1941, Page 5

SEVEN SHIPS SUNK.

ATTACKS ON BRITISH CONVOY. fourteen vessels reach port / LONDON, August 26. Fourteen ships of a large British convoy which was on its way from England to Gibraltar have arrived in Lisbon after being attacked for seval days by German submarines and aeroplanes. The Germans, in a special communique issued by the High Command) claimed the'destruction of 21 merchantmen, totalling 122,000 tons. The truth' is that seven vessels, totalling 10,000 tons in .all, were sunk, and 14 are safe in Lisbon.

The vessels sunk included five British, one Norwegian, and one Eireann. It is understood a corvette was among the ships sunk.

The captains of the vessels which escaped stated that shortly after leaving Britain the convoy sighted an enemy reconnaissance - aeroplane, which 'circled around and made off. When the convoy was off Cape Finisterre on August 19, two aeroplanes harmlessly dropped two sticks of bombs. The first submarine appeared at 1 a.m. on August. 20. Two merchantmen and one tug were sunk by torpedoes, but most members of the crews were saved. On the morning of August %2, two aeroplanes were driven off by an escorting Catalina flyingboat and anti-aircraft fire. Submarines were discovered in the vicinity of the convoy at noon, and depth charges were dropped. The result was unknown. Later a bomber unsuccessfully attacked. During the night, there were three Attacks by submarines. The first was at 11 p.m., when all the torpedoes Went wide. Two 'ships were sunk at 1 a.m. on August 23, and two more at 4 a.m., when the convoy was 160 miles from the Portuguese coast.

One captain said it was the first time a ship had been lost in his 16 convoys along the same route. “We would not have lost a ship if we had had sufficient air escort,” he said.

.EXAGGERATED GERMAN CLAIMS.

(Rec. 10.0 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 26. The Germans’ claim that they have sunk 21 merchant vessels totalling 122,000 tons in the convoy (cabled last night) is an example of the exaggeration which accord# ill with their comment on Mr Churchill’s speech that it is actions not words which count. In fact six merchant vessels and one ocean-going tug, of a total tonnage of 11,094 were sunk of a convoy of 21 merchant ships. The Nazi exaggeration of words over deeds is thus three times as regards numbers and 11 as regards tonnage.