SUPPLIES FOR LIBYA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 282, 10 September 1941, Page 5

SUPPLIES FOR LIBYA.

DETERMINED BY AXIS.

LONDON, Sept. 8

The achievements of British submarines; in the Mediterranean, wlicio they have been prominent lately, illustrate the determined efforts of the Axis to maintain communications with Libya and reinforce its North African armies in the face of British attempts to interrupt the sea route and weaken the enemy forces on the western side of Egypt—both sides evidently aiming to obtain a more favourable position before the campaigning season starts.

“The Times’’ observes: “In a sea where summer generally favours the defence rather than the submarine, no escort has proved strong enough to deter our submarines from attack. “The Italian cruiser which was torpedoed on August 24 was one of three escorted by six destroyers and a squadron of flying-boats. The liner Esporia was' escorted by destroyers, motor torpedo-boats, arid flying-boats, but that did not save her from being sunk off Tripoli itself. “These incidents are but two of , a much larger number reported in the last week or two. Two other large liners besides the Esperia were hit. bv torpedoes while sailing in convoy. One, believed to have been the Duilio (28,600 tons), was almost certainly sunk.

“The Duilio was one of a convoy of three when she appears to have been sunk, and if troops sent in the largest and fastest transports stand only a two to one chance of getting across without being torpedoed, the effect on morale must be discouraging. “However, the enemy is getting a great deal of what ho sends to Libya through to its destination, so the return of the campaigning season may find the Axis forces stronger than they wore before the summer. The enemy has evidently strained every nerve to strngthen them and is even accepting losses which might well have been prohibitive and which may yet prove to have been a negative factor.” —British Official Wireless.