MEDITERRANEAN & EGYPT

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1942, Page 6

MEDITERRANEAN & EGYPT

AIRCRAFT CARRIER SUNK BRITISH CONVOY ATTACKED LONDON, August 12. The Admiralty announces the loss of the 22,000-ton British aircraftcarrier, H.M.S. Eagle, as the result of a U-boat attack in the Mediterranean. A large number of the Eagle’s complement were saved. The .Eagle was originally designed before the last war as a nattleship for the Chilean Government, but was purchased by Britain m 1917 and completed as an aircraft-carrier in 1924. She carried normally 21 aircraft and 748 officers and men. Aircraft from her took part in . the crippling of the Italian fleet at Taranto. OVER 900 SURVIVORS RUGBY, August 12.. The Admiralty announces that at least one U-boat operating in the same area as the Eagle has already been sunk. Later it was announced that there were 930 survivors, including Captain L. Mackintosh, 67 officers, and 862 other ratings. GERMAN CLAIMS. (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, August 12. A German communiue states that a U-boat hit the British aircraft-car-rier Eagle with four torpedoes and sank her. The Eagle was part of a strongly-escorted convoy in the western Mediterranean. The Berlin radio 'reported that .since the evening of August 11, strong German and Italian air formations and submarine forces have been fighting large British convoys in the western Mediterrarean, escorted by the bulk of the British Mediterranean Fleet. ARTILLERY DUELS LONDON, August 11. The Bth Army is being steadily strengthened by supplies and reinforcements arriving in the Suez Canal zone, reports the Cairo correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.”, Suez itself is prepared to handle twice the volume of supplies that was arriving three months ago. Reuter’s correspondent says: “A feature of the fighting on the A lamein front in the last fortnight has been the duels between British artillery on both sides—our 25-pounders captured by Rommel are now turned against us. The British gunners at the Ruweisat ridge claim that we are getting the better of the duels. They say our fire has forced at least two enemy batteries from their desert holes, whereas we have not shifted our positions once.” Heavy Allied air attacks are again beginning to overshadow the artillery duels. PATROLS ENGAGED RUGBY, August 12., A Cairo communique states: On the night of August 10/11, our patrols were active over the whole front. Casualties were inflicted on enemy working parlies in the northern sector. Yesterday, artillery exchanges took place in the northern and central sectors. Dust curtailed air operations in the battle area. A message from the Egyptian Desert says that Fighter pilots of the United States Air Force are operating there. They have been distributed among R.A.F. fighter squadrons, to learn desert fighting. ITALIAN CENTRES RAIDED. (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, August 12. An Italian communique announces that the R.A.F. last night raided Catania and several localities in the province of Cagliari.