HALF ENEMY CONVOY SUNK BY BRITISH

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 187, 9 August 1941, Page 7

HALF ENEMY CONVOY SUNK BY BRITISH

TWO ATTACKS Torpedoes And Bombs Find Targets British Official Wireless. Rec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. S. The R.A.F. Middle East communique says that during the night of August t>-7 aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm successfully attacked an enemy convoy of six merchant vessels, escorted by an equal number of destroyers, off Lampcdusa Island, between Sicily and Tripoli. Several torpedoes were released and a number found their targets. A merchantman of SOOO tons and another of GOOO tons were sunk. The damage was confirmed early next morning by a formation of Blenheims which again attacked the convoy, now consisting of four merchantmen, east of Kerkenna (off Sfax). Another 8000-ton merchant ship was hit with two heavy bombs severely damaged and probably sunk, and another of 6000 tons was hit and badly damaged. During the attack by the Blenheims one of the escorting destroyers did not open fire, and it 'is thought that it had been damaged. Three enemy aircraft approached Malta on the night of August 6-7. The first to cross the coast was shot down in flames into the sea and the others were turned back without dropping their bombs. During the same night aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm bombed and machine-gunned a number of enemy aircraft at Gerbini. The aerodrome at Comiso, in Sicily, was attacked the previous day. Bombs were seen to burst near the hangars.

British bombers yesterday carried out an attack on the harbour of Tripoli. Bombs were seen bursting on the Spanish quay. During the previous night South African Maryland aircraft carried out attacks at Bardia, where bombs were dropped on the barracks. From all these operations all the aircraft returned safely.

An official communique states that an air raid was made last night on Alexandria. Bombs were dropped, killing 13 and injuring 23, and some damage was done to property. The total of enemy aircraft destroyed in offensive operations yesterday was seven.

The Cairo headquarters communique states: "Our patrols in the frontier area of Libya have shelled and dispersed small parties of enemy transport."

Tobruk's Growing Strength

Although the town is more battered and many buildings throughout the area have been reduced to rubble, things seem to have changed little in Tobrub, says the official Australian war correspondent, who has returned to the fortress after an absence of two months.

Aeroplanes still roar overhead, he says and the sky is dotted with black and white puffs as anti-aircraft guns roar into action. Judging by the great height which the.enemy aeroplanes keep, compared with the early days, our anti-aircraft defences seem to be well on top.

Our vehicles are still dispersed in their hundreds on the plain running to the coast, and food and ammunition dumps have not diminished in size. The harbour looks the same, littered with sunken hulls and masts, while other ships lean crazily on the beach, high up on the water's edge. Perfectly organised teamwork has been responsible for the successful defence of the fortress and the gradual but sure change-over from defence to fierce aggression that has reduced the enemy outside to a state' of nerves. Our troops captured Tobrub in 29 hours, and they have held It for four months without ever once looking like losing it.