THE MEDITERRANEAN

Grey River Argus, 26 September 1941, Page 5

THE MEDITERRANEAN

Desert Lull 8.0.W. RUGBY, September 24. A Cairo communique states: There is nothing of importance to report. THE GIBRALTAR RAID. ITALIAN CLAIM DENIED. LONDON, September 23. A Special Italian communique claimed that three large ships were sunk and one was driven ashore in a raid by the Italian Air Force on Gibraltar. As usual, the Italian claims are grossly exaggerated. London states that in the raid, which took place on Saturday, only one hulk was sunk. ITALIAN SHIPPING LOSSES. 8.0.W. RUGBY, September 24. An Admiralty communique states: An Italian minelayer of the Crotone class has been torpedoed and probably destroyed by a submarine in the Central Mediterranean. An enemy supply ship of about 5,000 tons has also been successfully attacked and hit by a torpedo. A large schooner has been engaged by gunfire by one of our submarines. The schooner was certainly hit and damaged, and probably sunk. No casualties or damage were suffered by the submarine. An additional Admiralty communique states: One of our submarines, patrollin. l in the Central Mediterranean, torpedoed an enemy transport and a supply-ship of about 1,500 tons. The supply ship is believed to have been sunk, and the transport was later seen to be on fire. (Rec. 1.25.) LONDON, Sept. 25. An Alexandria message states: A senior British Naval officer, commenting on recent Italian losses, declared that one ship of every five leaving- Italy for Libya fails to return. He expressed the opinion that Italy now had lost thirty per cent, of her mercantile navy, while a further twenty per cent, was probably immobilised for repairs. BRITISH COMMANDERS. LONDON, September 23. General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief in India, has returned to India after a conference with the Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East (General Sir Claude Auchinleck) somewhere in the Middle East, to discuss the defences of. the Middle East in the light of the present situation in the Russian war. Extensive manoeuvres are to be carried out on the North-west Frontier of India. Parachute landings and means of dealing with parachutists will be practised.

Bulgaria’s Attitude SOFIA, September 24. M. Gabrovsky, Minister of the Interior. told foreign correspondents that Bulgaria does not intend to enter the war against the Soviet, or break off relations. The Bulgarian Black Sea ports of Varna and Burgas have been completely blacked out. Both are said to be crammed with supply ships manned by Germans