SARDINIA ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 134, 3 December 1940, Page 7

SARDINIA ACTION

VICTORY CLAIMED FOR ITALY

! (British Official Wireless.J RUGBY, December 1. According to the German Deu'tschlandsender radio, the newspapers in Rome claim a success for the Italian navy in the recent naval engagement near Sardinia. If th» Italians really regard as a "victory" their hurried run to safety away from what on paper was an inferior force, it would seem that the prestige of the British Navy is as high today as it was more than 100 years ago when, in Pitt's famous words, it enabled England "to save herself by her exertions and Europe by her example."

A curious similarity between the present Italian claims and those made by the French and Spanish admirals after an engagement with a small British force on July 12, 1801, may be noted. On that day a French and Spanish squadron of six ships set out from Algeciras to Cadiz. They were at once followed by a British admiral with five ships, which made contact and began a running action in the late hours of the night.

As a result of this engagement three of the enemy squadron were lost and 2500 men killed, wounded, or taken prisoner, insignificant damage being inflicted on the British. The French and Spanish admirals, however, claimed a "victory" solely ofi the ground that their remaining three ships were able to sail fast enough to reach the protection of Cadiz harbour.