ENEMY CRUISERS TORPEDOED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23495, 25 November 1941, Page 7

ENEMY CRUISERS TORPEDOED

Attacks in Central Mediterranean ONE BELIEVED TO HAVE SUNK (Received November 24, 7 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, Nov. 23. An Admiralty communique states that an enemy cruiser was left sinking and a destroyer was badly damaged after a torpedo attack on a convoy in the central Mediterranean. Another attack on a. convoy in the same area was made by the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm, and another cruiser was hit. Three enemy cruisers accompanied by three destroyers were first attacked. Torpedoes hit one of the cruisers and the vessel was seen to be badly damaged and sinking. When the British forces withdrew, a large area was seen to be covered with oil. Later only two cruisers could be seen. Two supply ships were also hit by torpedoes and one was seen sinking. The attack by torpedo-bombers is described in a Royal Air Force communique from Cairo, which says: “In the central Mediterranean on Saturday night Royal Air Force and naval aircraft attacked an enemy convoy, which was escorted by one cruiser and five destroyers. “One torpedo scored a direct hit on the cruiser, causing a large flash and clouds of black smoke. “One large merchant vessel was probably hit, and sticks of bombs straddled other ships. “In a raid on Argostoli harbour (in the lonian Islands) on . Saturday, our aircraft bombed a naval vessel, which was left with a heavy list. Patrol vessels and other craft in the harbour were machine-gunned.” Shelling of Bases Units of the Royal Navy have been giving assistance to the land forces by pouring in six-inch gun salvoes on supply docks and on dumps in coastal positions held by the enemy. The work of the British Navy in the Mediterranean during the great battle in Libya is described by A special correspondent on board the battleship Barham off the coast of Cyrenaica, who writes: . “Our cruiser squadrons each night continue to fling six-inch salvoes into enemy coastal positions and suppiy dumps. With our submarines and light units taking care of the central Mediterranean, -our powerful eastern Mediterranean Fleet is playing the role of watchdog along the whole coast of Cyrenaica, thus ensuring that the Axis forces shall receive no supplies or reinforcements while General Cunningham’s army thrusts across Libya. “On Friday evening two Junkers 88 s approached the Fleet at dusk and circled round, apparently reporting the movement, but they kept their distance when we opened fire, and were subsequently driven off by naval aircraft. “The enemy appeared to be too much occupied ashore to give us much attention, and we have not seen any signs of the Italian Navy endeavouring to protect their Libyan sea flank, in spite of their numerical superiority.”