TRAWLER SUNK

Grey River Argus, 29 July 1940, Page 7

TRAWLER SUNK

Many Merchantmen Claimed [British Official Wireless! RUGBY, tfuly 26. The Admiralty has announced: His Majesty’s trawler Fleming was lost} in an action between two of our j trawlers and four dive-bombers. The trawlers Fleming and Berberis were in company, when four German aircraft appeared from the clouds. Two attacked the Fleming, and the other two attacked the Berberis. The Fleming sustained a direct hit amidships and sank. The Berberis opene'd a hot and accurate fire with her anti-aircraft guns. One of her first shells scored a direct hit, which must have struck the bomb-rack, since the aircraft flew to pieces in mid-air. The only wreckage subsequently picked up was a rubber boat ahd a few fragments oi wood. There was no sign of the aircraft’s crew. Another shell from the Berberis severely damaged another aircraft, which is considered unlikely to be able to return to its base. The Fleming’s survivors were picked up by the trawler Corona, which was ip the vicinity. There were no casualties in either of the other two trawlers.

Admiralty Denial [British Official Wireless! RUGBY, July 26. The Admiralty announces: “The German communique, claiming to have sunk 11 ships, totalling 43,000 tons and to have severely damaged -V further 12,000 tons of shipping in the air attack, on a convoy, yesterday, in the English Channel, is grossly exaggerated. The facts are that a convoy, consisting of 21 small coastal ves-i seis’, escorted by naval trawlers, was heavily attacked by successive waves, each of about 30 German aircraft. Five small vessels, of a total tonnage of 5,104, were sunk, and a further five totalling 5,133 tons, were damaged. One of them, a 554-ton coaster,, had to be beached. ] “Shortly after these air attacks, nine enemy motor torpedo-boats were] sighted proceedipg to attack the con-, voy. Two of our destroyers and two motor torpedo-boats intercepted the enemy forces which were chased and engaged for about 15 minutes. The damage inflicted on the enemy was not observed, because of smoke. • “While returning from this chase, our destroyers were twice heavily at-, tacked by dive-bombers. It was during the air fighting consequent upon enemy attacks on the convoy and the! destroyers that a large proportion of the enemy aircraft destroyed yesterday were shot down.” DESTROYER CASUALTIES [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] ! LONDON, July 26. I The Admiralty reports:. Two destroyers were damaged when attacked by dive-bombers. There were some casualties aboard the destroyer Boreas. i