AUSTRALIAN NAVY’S RECORD

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 81, 30 December 1940, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN NAVY’S RECORD

90 Per Cent. In Home Waters, Says Minister SYDNEY, December 27. Reviewing the activities of tlie Australian Navy, the Minister of the Navy. Mr. Hughes, announced that 90 per cent, of the ships of the Australian Navy are now in Australian waters. He said he was not jiermitfed to say more than that. He claimed that Australian ships had built up a fine record. "Apart from co-operating with the Royal Navy in patrolling the trade routes of the world.’’ lie said, “our ships have already sunk one enemy cruiser, destroyed several enemy submarines, destroyers, and loritedo-boats, shot down enemy aircraft, and captured enemy merchant ships." Mr. Hughes also praised the operations of other units of the Australian Navy, namely. the minesweepers, sloops, and other auxiliary craft which have been constantly at sea patrolling the coastline ever since the war began.

Confidence in lhe British success in North :iml East Africa is so great in Egypt that more than 1500 Egyptians have already completed arrangements for the pilgrimage Io Mecca. A Cairo message on Friday said Iha I lhe first batch of pilgrims had sailed.