MORE ITALIAN LOSSES IT SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 164, 12 July 1940, Page 7

MORE ITALIAN LOSSES IT SEA.

NAVAL VESSELS.

76 Flyers Killed In Action, 75 Missing.

FASCIST CLAIMS DENIED.

United Press Association. —Copyright. (Received noon.) LONDON, July 11. It is officially stated in London that aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm yesterday visited an Italian harbour, north of Augusta, Sicily. One Italian destroyer and a hulk of tho type generally used as a depot ship or store ship were sunk. All the 'planes returned.

It is stated in Rome that 70 airmen have been killed in action, 75 aro missing and 103 wounded since the outbreak. General Francesco Pricolo, Italian Chief of Staff for Air, in an Order of tho Day regarding the battle on Monday and Tuesday, reveals that 300 Italian 'planes participated, of which three were lost, but many 'planes returned peppered with shot and some of the crew wounded. A Rome official report says that five broke out, sinking the troopship Paganini, carrying 920 troops, off Albania. The casualties total 220. Another official message says the dead number 220 Italian and Albanian officers.

Claims of the Italians. An Italian war communique states: "Further investigation proves beyond doubt that during the action on Tuesday in the zone of the Balearic Islands units of our air force seriously damaged and set fire to the battleship Hood. The aircraft carrier Ark Royal was also directly hit on the deck by two largecalibre bombs, as appears in photographs.

"Moreover, during a naval encounter which occurred in the lonian Sea (west of Greece), another British battleship was directly hit by two large-calibre bombs.

"Further investigations are pending to ascertain the damage suffered by the enemy, both during these bombings and those carried out south of Crete.

"The naval base at Malta was once again heavily bombed yesterday morning and late yesterday afternoon. Fires and explosions were seen, both at the arsenal and aboard ships in port. Three enemy pursuit 'planes were shot down by our bombers. Two of our 'planes failed to return to their base."

The British Admiralty announced this afternoon that an Italian communique issued this morning stated that the aircraft carrier Ark Koyal sustained a direct hit with a bomb and the battleship Hood was set on fire. A report had been received from the flag officer commanding the British forces concerned that, although several bombs fell close to his ships, no direct hits were secured, and there was no damage and 110 casualties occurred, says a British official wireless message. It was this force which,-as stated in an Admiralty communique on July 10. destroyed four enemy aircraft and damaged seven others, three of which were unlikely to have regained their base.