BIG GUNS SPEAK

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 120, 14 February 1941, Page 10

BIG GUNS SPEAK

British Battleships At

Valona ! DISCOMFORTING THE ITALIANS A. graphic ai-munt of the bombardment. of Valona by a British battleship squadron, written by Larry Allen, of the Associated Press, was printed in rite ‘"New York Tinies" at. the end of December. Mere is the story. From the deck of .one of .Britain's tloating fortresses early Thursday morning 1 watched one-ton shells rocket into the heart of Valona, one of Italy’s main Albanian naval bases to cause destructive tires that bathed ‘2(Hio-foot, mountain peaks with their light. •A little Christmas present for Italy," the sweating gunners said. The warship on which I rode and others swept up the mine-laden Adriatic Sea between Italy and Albania in a daring raid in which 100 shells were loosed against Valona in terrific broadsides. The sleeping Italians apparently were completely surprised and the warships moved close enough to shore to i see a lone light shining in Valona's harbour. Then bedlam broke. One-ton shells that rumbled through the night with a noise like a roaring subway express train exploded with tremendous force against docks, ships, warehouses, supply bases and military ! encampments. Supiwrts Greet: Armies. The heavy bombardment was de- ' signed to give support to Greek armies ■ increasing their pressure on AlussoI liui's battered Albanian legions, j *A wide pa tli of flaming destruction I was apparent. A reddish glow crept i over the tops of the 2000 ft. high inounj tains showing the calibre of the raging tires started by the big naval guns. Tlte British ships moved through the mine-studded Strait of Otranto, between Italy's "heel” and the Albanian coastline like huge shadows. Keeping the Albanian coast in sight the ships swept into broadside firing positions off Valona. At this time, early Thursday morning, shivering with cold, 1 clambered up tlte steel ladders from the battleship's wardroom to the control tower. Through narrow slits in the steel tower I saw the long, massive grey barrels of the lain, guns slowly rear their muzzles skyward from the giant turrets. The commander, through a speaking tube, gave final instructions, saying the guns were to open tire in 10 minutes. Those minutes ticked off like eternity. Looking across rhe barrels of the guns that were less than 15 feet away and poised for action. I mentally girded myself for the tremendous concussion that I knew must come with the i detonation of the first ton of "'bricks.'' I White and red lights flashed on the fire-control indicator, designating the turrets that were to open the bombardment. Then came the signal: "Open fire!” A bell sounded lightly. 1 grasped a rung of a steel ladder, took a deep breath, and ducked below the level of the vision slits. A second later there was a terrific burst of fire. Sheets of yellow flame licked hack from the muzzles of the guns and seemed to pour through the slits in the tower. Huge Guns Roar. Again the bell sounded. Again I | ducked, and two guns fired almost simI ultaneously. The blinding glare and ! clouds of yellowish smoke swept into my face. The rapid succession of the blasts made me feel as if my bead hung by a thread. Guns of other battle fleet units roared with great flashes of fire, wiping everything else from my vision. Even the Albanian coast disappeared in the burst of fire. Swiftly, scores of shells hurtled through the air, each carrying more Ilian 20001 b. of destruction into Valona's naval and military concentrations. The Italian shore'batteries of 12-inch guns remained silent during tile l>ombardnient. leading to the belief the ' Italians had been taken so by surprise 1 that they could not. fire, possibly not 1 being able even to determine the ships’ > positions. For 12 minutes the battle fleet pump- ; ed out shells with a Niagara’ike roar i that reverberated for miles along the •' Albanian coast. 1 Then, over the speaking tube, came a voice like that of a railroad conduc- J tor —unintelligible, but it meant ' "cease firing.” ' The big guns were lowered but the crews of the fl-inch guns stood by, wait- I ing tensely for any reply from the 1 Italians ashore so they could answer ‘ in turn. . The British ships, like huge black * floating islands, moved slowly south- J ward.

Then the Italian shore batteries fired a few starshells, vainly trying to locate their attackers. The long-burning starshells, bursting high in the sky, drifted lazily to the surface of the sea hundreds of yards awtry from the ships. ' The Italians fired several more rounds which came closer, tout all were too distant to illuminate the battlefleet.

As rhe reddish glow of the fires which had been started at Vtrlotta crept over lite sttow-caprxul Albanian mountains. a youlltful midshipman in the battleship's top control tower hajipily caroled, "tine Night of Love.” Tlte battlefleet cruised southward out of the Strait of Otranto trud into the lonian Sea. Not even an Italian bombing plane appeared to attempt atM Tho battleship commander, before the Itombtrrdment, posted a bulletin with the notation: “Tlte objective to discomfort tlte Italians."