AXIS SEA LANE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 109, 10 May 1943, Page 3

AXIS SEA LANE

SWEPT BY ALLIES Biggest Torpedo-boat Fleet Ever Assembled Rjecd. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, May 9. The Allied navies are flanking the enemy's evacuation lane from Tunisia to Sicily with the greatest concentration of motor torpedo boats ever assembled, says the British United Press correspondent With the British Fleet. These boats are sweeping the enemy's only remaining channel of escape. Reuters correspondent with the fleet says the weather tends to favour the passage of small craft through "suicide alley" between Tunisia and Sicily. The nights are pitch black, and last night driving rain and sleet cut down visibility practically to zero. "We contacted several small craft which after bursts of our gunfire, hurried away in the darkness," the correspondent proceeds. "It seems clear from observation during the past few nights that the Axis command is not prepared to risk a big loss of ships but is using fast, elusive destroyers, torpedo boats and Sinbel ferry boats. Sinbels are heavily-construtced, flatbottomed twin-hulled vessels connected by a platform bridge on which are mounted plane screws, giving a speed of about ten knots. They are strongly armed and can accommodate fair-sized cargo "During the sweep throughout the night there was hardly a moment when enemy planes were not m tne vlcfnity? some of them swooping low enough to enable us to pepper {him with flak. Many of these planes are large troop-carriers. One Allied thip shot down two of them as they flew over at mast height. A communique from. Allied Headquarters in North Africa last night stated: "A strong formation of light naval forces has been active m the Straits of Sicily, the Gulf of Tunis, and the east coast of Cap Bon Peninsula The task of these units was to sink, set on fire or destroy enemy craft. Operations of these craft were strongly impeded by bad weather and high seas. "In spite of hindrances, one enemy surface vessel was damaged and 1 several of our units were exposed to aerial attack. Our losess were negligible. Complete reports are not yet to hand. "Early this morning, our light naval forces sank two enemy merchantmen of medium tonnage. Enemy positions near Kelivia, on the east coast of Cap Bon, were shelled by naval units on Saturday evening and early this morning. At present the enemy is making no attempt to embark a major number of troops."