SAFE FOR SHIPPING

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 78, 28 September 1940, Page 12

SAFE FOR SHIPPING

MEDITERRANEAN AND RED SEA

SAILINGS TO RESUME

BRITISH CONTROL

LONDON, September 27. British control of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea is encouraging shipping companies to resume sailings, to and3from Alexandria. These sailings were interrupted when Italy entered the war. A message from Alexandria reports the arrival of eight merchant vessels from Cyprus with.potatoes, ■. fruit, oil, and wine. • Another loaded with coal arrived from England. An Egyptian steamer is due to sail for New York in October, and ships carrying Egyptian cotton bought by, Britain . will travel by the Suez Canal and Red Sea, where navigation is practically normal. The Egyptian authorities are studying requests from shipping companies which want to resume operations, as they are ' convinced that the British Navy has • made traffic safe. • British types of aircraft in the Mediterranean area are having the successes that the : types are achieving in Britain and- are ■ showing1 marked superiority over the Italians. The pilot of a Fairey Swordfish while on reconnaissance was ...approached- by two powerful three-engined Italian bombers. The British pilot tackled both Italian machines. He opened fire at one at a'range of 100 yards and sent it crashing into the sea. He engaged the second at 15 yards, but, as this was too close for the proper' use of his guns, he drew his revolver and'fired three rounds. The Italian pilot, apparently surprised by this old-fashioned but still reliable form of attack, at once turned tail for home. . ;