ENEMY ELUDED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20863, 15 August 1942, Page 3

ENEMY ELUDED

ALLIED _CONVOY MALTA REACHED ' LOSS ON BOTH SIDES BRITISH CRUISER SUNK (By Telegraph—Press Abbji.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (11.30 a.m.) , RUGBY, Aug. 14. The Admiralty announces that naval operations have been taking place in the western and central Mediterranean during the past few days. Our forces were under the command of Vice-Admiral E. N. Syfret. These operations resulted in supplies and reintorcements reaching Malta, despite very heavy enemy concentrations designed to prevent their passage. The reinforcements included a number of fighter aircraft. The ' 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 narrovys. A force of enemy cruisers, consisting of ships armed with Bin. and 6in. guns was concentrated in the Tyrrhenian Sea and steered to the southwards as if to 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 our aircraft. The results of tnis attack were not observed. Enemy. Cruisers Torpedoed' The enemy cruisers were intercepted and attacked on the wpy back to harbour by one of our submarines. Two hits, with torpedoes were scored on enemy cruisers. Reports are awaited of the considerable air operations carried out by naval aircrait 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 has been sunk. The loss of the aircraft carrier Eagle already has 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 that others reached the Tunisian coast, since the position in which the ship sank was close to that coast It is not to be expected that extensive and dangerous operations 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 possible so far as this can be done without giving assistance to the enemy, whose published claims are known to* be exaggerated. Magnitude of Task The captains of all the merchantmen in the convoy received before their departure a personal letter from the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. 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 the Axis activities in the central Mediterranean. It has diverted a formidable section *of the Axis air force and has accounted for many hundreds.of planes. .The second factor is that the island contains 300,000 ■Empire .citizens who have gallantly and untiringly stood by Britain. The idea of failing to supply them cannot 1 be entertained. The cruiser Manchester, which was ■ of the Newcastle class, had a displacement of 9100 tons and a complement of 700. Her armament was 12 6in. guns, eight 4in. guns, six torpedo tubes, ana anti-aircraft armament. She carried three aircraft. • An Italian communique, in claiming further successes against the Britisn convoy in the Mediterranean, admitted .the loss of 19 planes and said that two Italian naval units of medium tonnage were aamagea, one badly.