NAVAL REPORTS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1940, Page 5

NAVAL REPORTS

DOVER SHELLED

AN ENEMY CONVOY MOVES.

(United Press Association Per Electrip Telegraph Copyi ight)

LONDON, September 12,

A. convoy, including at least 12 largish enemy ships, was sighted on Wednesday afternoon in the English Cnannel, near Cape Gris Nex, France. They were on route for Boulogne. There they pud up a smokescreen.' The convoy’s movements were also covered by an enemy dive-bombing attack against Dover., Dover also was shelled b.y the German guns mounted on the French coast. British guns replied to this. After this, R.A.F. planes disappeari d as they went toward the French and Belgian coastline. It is believed that they avei dropping bombs to the eastward of Calais. The long-range duel of shelling was continued across the Channel alter dark on Wednesday evening. It was interspersed with the chattering of the defence guns firing against lone German fighters and night bombers. This was Dover’s most severe shelling during the war. Some people were killed. Others were wounded. PORTS AND SHIPS ATTACKED. LONDON, September 12. An Admiralty communique states: “Our naval light forces' are taking strong and repeated offensive actions against the German shipping movements, against ports in enemy use, and against their concentrations of shipping. These operations'have inflicted losses on the enemy, and damage on those port facilities which are vital in the event of an attempted invasion of England. Further details cannot be given without disclosing information that would be useful to the enemy.

The foregoing news has been delayed for upwards of 11 hours.

A GERMAN CLAIM

BERLIN, September 11

A communique states: A German bomber sank a convoyed 8000-ton British merchantman, southward of the Hebrides. The German radio' stated that German bombers on Wednesday afternoon attacked the great oil storage depot of Port Victoria, south-west of Sheerness at the mouth of the Thames. They set fire to several tanks and also to an oil tanker.