ENEMY ENGAGED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 219, 14 August 1940, Page 7

ENEMY ENGAGED.

BRITISH TORPEDO-BOATS. BRAVE LITTLE CRAFT. (British Official Wireless.) Received August 14, 11.35 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 13. An Admiralty communique states : In the early hours of this morning some of our motor torpedo-boats m adc contact with enemy light forces. The enemy when sighted were only abouta hundred yards from our boats which were travelling at about 30 knots. They were two small ships. One of our motor torpedo-boats, thinking that the enemy ahead was an E boat, and being too close to take other action, rammed it. The enemy sliips were, however, larger than E boats and this motor torpedoboa£ suffered some damage to its bows. , , Another of our motor torpedo-boats passed lietween two enemy ships and engaged them with machine-gun fire and "renades at afmost point-blank range, Is is considered this fire took considerable effect, as the enemy’s return fire was ineffective. A third of our motor tropedo-boats passed beyond tl;ese two enemy ships and sighted two larger vessels. She engaged these with machine-gun fire at very close range. Later one of our motor torpedoboats had two running fights with an enemv E boat. It was too dark to ascertain wliat damage was inflicted on the enemy during these fights. BRUSH WITH ’PLANES. After this action some of our motor-torpedo-boats were attacked by a German aeroplane from a height ot oUU ft. Our boats opemni hot and accurate fire, and when last seen the aircraft was on fire and losing height rapidly. No casualties were suffered by British forces in any of these engagements, and no damage apart from that suffered by the one hoit ramming the enemy ship. This boat also returned safely