GREAT CONVOY

Evening Star, Issue 24160, 2 April 1942, Page 3

GREAT CONVOY

ARRIVAL AT MURMANSK THREE ENEMY ATTACKS BEATEN OFF LONDON, March 01. “ A great Allied convoy laden with tanks, munitions, ami planes, mostly from - tbe United States, reached Murmansk after withstanding three attacks by U-boats, dive-bombers, ami German \varships.” says the Stockholm correspondent of the ‘ Daily Telegraph.’ “ British cruisers, destroyers, and an aircraft carrier protected the convoy. “ German planes first spotted the convoy on March 27 north-west of Tromso, and they summoned Junkers and a German destroyer squadron. British Fleet Air Ann fighters and a barrage from the convoy drove off the first attack. A snowtsorm was raging when the German destroyers arrived. One German destroyer and one smaller vessel were sunk, and another was set on fire. Dive-bombers from Kirkenes and Petsamo. reinforced by U-boats and by the remainder of the German destroyer flotilla, made a third attack on the convoy as it entered Kola Bay. Russian fighters from Murmansk helped the convoy to get through after a full-scale battle.”

ANOTHER BURDEN ON NAVY (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY. April 1. With lengthening clays ahead, more effective enemy attacks on British convoys bound for North Russia with vital supplies can bo expected. To afford adequate protection Britain has to increase the strength of the escorts and ho prepared to deal with heavy German units now based upon Trondheim. It is known that this enemy force includes the Prinz Eugcn, the Von Scheer, and the Hippor. These additional commitments mean yet another burden on the heavilystrained resources of the Royal Navy. On the other hand, the convoy system gives the Navy a chance to- strike back, as it has done so successfully in the recent'action. It exposed the attacker to immediate counter-attack, whereas in the case of dispersed ships not in convoy these could often he sunk without the hope of retaliation.

ROYAL AIR FORGE A PROUD RECORD (Rec. 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, April 1. To-day is the twenty-fourth anniversary of the R.A.F., which since its last birthday has achieved parity with the Luftwaffe. The R.A.F. is now receiving bigger bombers and faster, more heavily armed fighters. Bombs weighing nearly two tons are now included in loads of four-engined Stirlings and Halifaxes. Still bigger bombs are coming. The Fighter Command has made over 50,000 sorties and shot down over 800 enemy fighters since the beginning of the war. -The' R.A.F., Dominion and Allied squadrons, and British anti-air-craft batteries have accounted for nearly 9,000 German and Italian aircraft Coastal Command squadrons have flown over 50,000,000 miles, convoying, reconnaissance, and attacking shipping. Between the R.A.F. and the Navy at least 5,250,000 tons of Axis shipping have been destroyed.

DISTRIBUTION OF AIRCRAFT (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11.22 a.m.) RUGBY, April 1. The distribution of British and American aircraft in the various war theatres was referred to authoritatively in London to-day. Though considerable numbers of United States aircraft have been reaching the various battle fronts, nearly 90 per cent, of all types of aircraft based on the United Kingdom are British made. The only American aircraft under the. Bomber Command arc Bostons, while in the Coastal Command there are Liberators, Catalinas, Marylands, Fortresses, and Hudsons. The night bombing offensive,, for instance, which i> steadily increasing in weight, so far has been exclusvely carried out with British machines. . It has been found most economical in time and shipping space for most United States aircraft to be sent direct to the Middle East, where .it is vital to build up aircraft strength to the maximum. It appears almost certain that Hitler will attempt as part of his spring campaign an advance towards the Suez Canal and the Middle East.

In the Middle East theatre of war there is a particular demand for longrange American bombersj so that when the great offensive begins it will be possible to exert the greatest possible pressure"'against enemy ports of embarkation and communications. More and more aircraft from the United States are arriving, but of the total number of aircraft in the Middle East, three-quarters are British. Among the types of United States aircraft in the Middle East are Boston, Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, Maryland, Baltimore Fortress, and Hudson. The Tomahawk and Kittyhawk fighters have done particularly well, not only in the Middle East, blit also in Burma. It is also stated that a larger number of British aircraft than American so far have been shipped to the Russian front.

ST. HAZAIRE RAID LEADERS FAIL TO RETURN (Rec. noon.) LONDON, April 1. 6 It is disclosed that Lieutenant-com-mander S. H. Beattie has not returned from the St. Nazaire raid. Lieutenantcolonel A. C. Newman, who .was commander of the military forces, also has not returned. The (Berlin radio declared that the Germans took Lieutenant-commander Beattie prisoner. A German spokesman admitted that the dock gates at St. Nazaire were “ slightly damaged, but were repaired within one day. Also the w'reck of the destroyer was blown away.” The first German Press photographs of St. Nazaire do not show the gates, but only some British dead in the streets.