MEDITERRANEAN FIGHT

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 November 1940, Page 7

MEDITERRANEAN FIGHT

SEVERAL ITALIAN SHIPS HIT SPEED AGAIN SAVES FLEET SLIGHT BRITISH DAMAGE • [BY CABLE. —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, November 29. The Admiralty has announced that H.M.S. Renown and other forces in the Mediterranean on November 27 attacked two Italian battleships andmany cruisers and destroyers. One enemy cruiser was seriously afire, one destroyer was down astern and listing, and another was listing. A torpedo from an aeroplane hit a battleship of the Littorio class (35,000 tons). The Admiralty states that soon after 10 a.m. on November 27, British forces westward of Sardinia received reports from reconnoitring aeroplanes that enemy forces consisting of two battleships and a large num- ' ber of cruisers and destroyers were at sea about 75 miles north-eastward. . The British forces instantly made full speed and altered their course to close with the enemy, hoping to bring him to action. ’ A few minutes before noon, the enemy cruisers were sighted hull down on the horizon. At 12.21 p.m. advanced light units fired. The enemy cruisers replied, but almost immediately turned away and retired to the north-east at high speed under the cover of smoke. •

At 12.50 p.m., two enemy battleships, accompanied by cruisers, ware sighted. One battleship was of the Littorio class (35,000 tons) and the other of the Conte di Cavour class (23,622 tons). The enemy heavy ships fired on the British cruisers, which were forced by the much heavier metal to make a slight turn away, but within a few minutes the enemy battleships themselves turned away. The British cruisers immediately resumed the pursuit of the Italian cruisers. The slower British units rapidly fell astern, but H.M.S. Renown (Captain C. E, B. Simeon), flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville, did its utmost to bring the enemy heavy ships to action, but was unable to succeed because of the speed with which the enemy retired.

At 1.10 p.m., the chase, having been carried to within a few miles of the enemy’s coast, was abandoned because of the extreme range and the enemy smoke screens. No damage was observed this time, but a subsequent air.reconnaissance indicated that the British gunfire must have caused considerable damage before- the enemy reached the shelter of his coast or disappeared behind the smokescreen.

An enemy cruiser, believed to be of the eight-inch type, was seriously afire aft and a destroyer of the Grecale class (1449 tons) was down astern and listing heavily and stopping, Another destroyer was listing slightly and losing way. •■ ’ '

■' ACTION IN THE AIR. Aeroplanes of the Fleet Air Arm from the Ark Royal (Captain C. S. Holland) attacked repeatedly during the pursuit and after it. One force of Swordfish machines carried ouba torpedo attack on the enemy battleships. A torpedo was seen to hit a battleship of the new powerful Litterio class. Another force of Swordfish aeroplanes attacked an enemy unit consisting of three eight-inch gun cruisers. A torpedo almost certainly hit the rear ship, which was a 10,000 ton vessel of the Bolzano class, and the leading ship of this formation was observed to reduce speed. Immediately after this attack, a force of Skua machines dive-bomb-ed a formation of three six-inch gun cruisers of the Condottieri class (7874 tons). Two very near misses were obtained, and it appeared that one cruiser was damaged in the boiler room.

All the British aeroplanes returned safely. The only damage to the British forces was to the Berwick (Captain G. L. Warren), which received two hits. ’ The Berwick is a cruiser of the Kent class (10,000 tons). The damage was slight. One officer and six ratings were killed in the Berwick. Two ratings "were seriously wounded and seven were slightly wounded. Ten enemy bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked the British forces at 2.35 p.m., but because of action by fighters of the Fleet Air Arm, they did no damage to any ship. Fifteen bombers, in three waves, again attacked at 4.40 p.m. Fighters of the Fleet Air Arm again intercepted them, but some bombers were able to carry out their attack, and the Ark ‘ Royal disappeared from sight after the splashes of about 30 bombs which fell close to her. She emerged from the spray with all her guns firing furiously. She sustained neither damage nor casualties. Two Italian float aeroplanes were shot down. One of the British fighters has not returned to its ship. Apart from this and the slight damage to the Berwick, the British forces sustained neither damage nor casualties.

DODECANESE AND TRIPOLI. LONDON, November 29. A brief report of another attack against Italy by the units of the Roval Navy have been received from the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. The report says that aeroplanes of the Fleet Air Arm attacked positions in the Dodecanese Islands and in North Africa. In the Dodecanese Islands, a dockyard was hit and a ship, probably a warship, was attacked. One of the British aeroplanes is missing. The attack in North Africa was on Tripoli, where large fires were started which were still visible when the British aeroplanes were 60 miles away. FURTHER DETAILS. RUGBY, November 29. The British Navy continues to harass the enemy in the Mediterranean, which Mussolini assured the world is an “Italian lake.” Following close on Wednesday’s spirited chase, the Admiralty, this morning, issued the following report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet: “Under cover of the Mediterranean Fleet, attacks by the .Fleet, Air Arm were carried out

simultaneously at Port Laki in Leros, in the Dodecanese, and at Tripoli, Libya. At Port Lake, despite poor visibility, the dockyard area and other places were hit and fires started, and a ship, probably a warship, attacked. One aircraft failed to return. > . , X, “At Tripoli, a ship alongside the quay, and the quay itself, were heavily hit, and major fires started, which were still visible nearly an hour later 60 miles away. 1 “All our aircraft returned safely.

! ITALY FACES FAMINE (Recd. Nov. 30, 9.45 a.m.) WASHINGTON, November 29. The Department of Agriculture, reports that the British blockade in the Mediterranean is so effective that Italy faces a Winter deprived of over 1 eighty per cent, of imports, including foodstuffs and agricultural raw materials. Many of the poorer classes are suffering from malnutrition. Prices have increased by forty per cent. The lack of fats, oils and meats, in which the. country is most deficient, is likely to increase. Meat, ’fresh pastry, and ice cream, are at present, permitted three times a week. The monthly ration of olive oil, the major item of diet, is restricted to one pint, and butter, lard, or suet to three-quarters of a pound. Sugar is ; reduced, and cotton is expected to be . exhausted within a few weeks. The effects of the food shortage are most ! acute in southern Italy.

’ RAIDS ON MALTA. I • | RUGBY, November 29. There was considerable enemy ac'tivity at Malta yesterday, states a ■ London bulletin, wnen a number of ‘bombs was dropped, but no damage iwas< done. I R.A.F. fighters intercepted the I enemy with the result that a CR42 was ; shot down, and two so badly damaged I that they were unlikely to be able to ! return to their ' AFRICAN FRONTS. RUGBY, November 29. To-day’s official communique issued at Cairo says: “AU fronts—no change iin situation.” I ' AERIAL ATTACKS. I I RUGBY, November 29. Our aircraft in the Western Desert attacked a small enemy column south lof Sidi Barrani. Motor transport 1 vehicles, were severely damaged, and a number of drivers killed. An an-ti-aircraft battery was silenced, the crew being killed. In Italian East Africa, Assab was raided, bombs falling close to a large ship, equipped with anti-aircraft guns, which was in the harbour.

In other areas, numerous reconnaissances were carried out, and valuable information obtained.