SUNK BY BRITISH

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 28, 1 August 1940, Page 11

SUNK BY BRITISH

GREEK TANKER

UNDER CHARTER TO ITALY

ENEMY AIR ATTACK

(British Official . Wireless.)

(Received August 1, 1 p.m.) RUGBY, July 31.

An Admiralty communique states that the Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean reports that the Greek tanker Hermione, under charter to the Italian Government, and carrying 300 tons of petrol and 200 tons of lubricating oil for the Italian forces in the Dodecanese Islands, was intercepted in the Aegean Sea by British naval fofces on Sunday evening.-.': ■•--•-. r.yry bit* ■. >;•.»• i\y = <-v xxr Soon after the character of the ship and the contraband nature of the cargo had been established a heavy Italian air attack on the British forces developed. The commander of the British forces was accordingly compelled to sink the Hermione by gunfire after the captain and the crew had been removed. The weather was fine, and the crew, whd, as stated, were in no need of assistance, proceeded; in boats to laud, which was not far distant. "The air attack on our forces," says the communique, presumably has given rise to highly coloured Italian reports of. a battle between Italian aircraft and British warships in which it is claimed that several British warships sustained direct hits and severe damage. In fact, no damage or casualties were sustained by our forces."