MEDITERRANEAN BATTLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 August 1942, Page 5

MEDITERRANEAN BATTLE

CONVOY REACHES'MALTA

CRUISER MANCHESTER SUNK RUGBY, August 14. The Admiralty announces: Naval operations have been taking place in the Western and Central Mediterranean during the past few days. Our forces are under the command of Acting Vice-Admiral E. N. Syfret. These operations resulted in supplies and reinforcements reaching "Malta, despite very heavy enemy concentrations designed to prevent their passage. Reinforcements included a number of fighter aircraft. Measures taken by the enemy consisted of U-boats, large numbers of torpedo-carrying and dive-bombing aircraft, and strong forces of E-boats operating in the central narrows. A force of enemy cruisers, consisting of ships armed with eight-inch and sixinch guns, concentrated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and steered to the southwards, as if an attempt to interfere with the passage of our convoy. The enemy cruiser forces, however, never came within range of our ships, and turned back on being attacked by aircraft. ■ The results of this attack were not observed.

Enemy cruisers were intercepted and attacked on the way back to harbour by one of our submarines. Two hits with torpedoes were scored on enemy cruisers. Reports are awaited of considerable operations carried out by naval aircraft and aircraft of the Royal Air Force. The destruction of one U-boat has already been announced, and it is now certain that at least one more was sunk. The loss of the aircraft -carrier Eagle has already been announced. The Admiralty regrets to announce that the cruiser Manchester was damaged and subsequently sank. Many survivors have been picked up, and it is believed the others reached the Tunisian coast, since the position in which the ship sank was close to that coast.

It is not to that an extensive and dangerous operation of this type, carried out in close proximity to enemy bases, can be completed without loss. Any further information received by the Admiralty will be made known as soon as poslished. The enemy claims are known to be exaggerated. The cruiser Manchester, which was of the Newcastle class, had a displacement of 9100 tons and a complement of 700. Her armament was 12 six-inch guns, eight' four-inch guns, six torpedo tubes, and anti-aircraft armament. She carried three aircraft.

SUPPLIES MUST GET THROUGH

RUGBY - , August 14. The captains of all the merchantmen in the convoy, which has been the centre of such bitter fighting in the Mediterranean, received before their departure, a personal letter from Mr. Alexander. Such a message of encouragement underlines afresh the magnitude and importance of the task undertaken night and day by the merchant navy. The importance of Malta as the sole base on the northern flank of the Mediterranean is emphasised by the fact that the convoy from Gibraltar was attacked by every weapon the Axis could muster. The importance of maintaining Malta is made great by two factors. The island, as long as it can be fuelled, is a second front to Axis activities in the central Mediterranean. It has diverted a formidable section of the Axis air force, and has accounted for many hundreds of p'anes. A second factor is that the island contains 300,000 Empire citizens, who have gallantly and untiringly stood by Britain. The idea of fading to supply them cannot be entertained.

POLISH DESTROYER LOST

RUGBY, August 14

The Polish destroyer Kujawiak, which has had a proud career, including the sinking of two enemy ships, has been sunk, while on convex work in the Mediterranean.

ITALIAN CLAIMS.

(Recd. 11.45 a.m.) LONDON. August 14. An Italian communique, in claiming further successes against the British convov in the Mediterranean, admitted the loss of 19 planes. It said that two Italian naval units of medium tonnage were damaged, one badly. It claimed that one British cruiser, one destroyer, and three merchantmen were additionally sunk.