ENEMY CONVOYS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 114, 16 May 1941, Page 7

ENEMY CONVOYS

ATTACKS BY THE R.A.F.

SHIPS LEFT BURNING

ONE TORPEDOED

(Rec. 1.10 p.m.) RUGBY, May 15

The Air Ministry reports highly successful bombing attacks on an enemy convoy. "This afternoon," states a communique, "the Bomber Command attacked an escorted enemy convoy olf the Frisian Islands. Three supply ships of about 5000 tons, 4000 tons, and 2000 tons were bombed and left burn- j ing. Shortly afterwards enemy fighters attacked out bombers and one enemy fighter was shot down. One of our aircraft is missing. "The Fighter Command today made several offensive sweeps over the Channel and northern France in the course of which several enemy aircraft were machine-gunned on the ground and one was shot down. Ships were machine-gunned from a low level and one set on fire. None of our fighters is missing." SEEN THROUGH MIST. Another Air Ministry communique states that an aircraft of the Coastal Command on patrol off the Dutch coast yesterday afternoon torpedoed a 5000-ton enemy supply ship which was one of an escort convoy. The British aircraft returned safely. The British plane was on an offensive patrol, skimming along the enemy- j occupied coast close to sea level. | Through the mist the pilot suddenly sighted a convoy of seven German vessels. The ships opened fire as the aircari'!. made its runs in just, above ! the sea. The navigator machine- ! gunned the ship as the pilot released I the torpedo, which was seen to run {true. Then the navigator hurried to I the observation cabin in time to see a large column of smoke rising where the ship had been. The Under-Secretary for Air stated in the House of Commons that the four docks at Brest had been attacked on 47 occasions, on °A of which the German battle-cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were among the objectives. —8.0. W.