CONVOY ATTACKED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 169, 29 April 1943, Page 3

CONVOY ATTACKED

AXIS SHIPS BELIEVED SUNK. DESPITE VERY STRONG ESCORT. FIFTH VESSEL BLOWS UP. (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 10.40 a.in.) LONDON, April .*3B. The Admiralty announced that light naval forces before dawn this morningintercepted an enemy convoy under a strong escort off the coast of Brittany in the vicinity of Ushant. The destroyers Gothland and Albrighton pressed home the attack to a close range in the face of intense fire from an unusually large number of escort craft and torpedoed one large supply ship and another of medium size. Both vessels were further heavily hit by gunfire and are believed to have been sunk. The attack caused considerable confusion among the enemy and several of their ships were seen to be firing on one another. In the course of the ensuing melee, which lasted over an hour, the Gothland and the Albrighton scored hits with gunfire on two escorts, which burst into flames and almost certainly sank. An E-boat was also hit and blew up. Our ships suffered a small number of casualties and slight damage.—British Official Wireless.