SHIPPING POUNDED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 196, 21 July 1941, Page 5

SHIPPING POUNDED

PHENOMENAL TOLL

FIGURES FOR WEEK. (United Press Association—Coin-right.) (ltec. 10 a.m.) ItUGBY, July 20. With the probable desiructiou I of 48,000 tons of enemy shippingin two successful attacks on convoys yesterday, the R.A.F., during the past week, has destroyed or seriously damaged 42 enemy ! ships of a total of some 242,000 tons. In the past week the R.A.U. has sunk a greater tonnage of enemy shipping than the total of British shipping lost for the whole of June. The most successful attacks have been carried out during the past four] days, and the amount then sunk is! not included in ihe total of 3011,000 tons oi enemy shipping destroyed in [ the past tour mouths, given by the! Air Minister yesterday. In the daylignt raid on Rotterdam on July ](j between DO 000 and 100.000 tons were probably sunk and a further' •10,000 to 45.000 tons were severely damaged. On the night of that day j a further 10.000 tons were almost] certainly sunk On J uly 18 16.000 tons were des- j troyed and yesterday a further 45.000 i tons were probably destroyed.

These totals do not include successes in the Mediterranean against shipping, which have also Leen considerable recently. The Air Minister’s figures of total enemy losses for the past four months must now have grown to some hah a million tons sunk and about us'mucli again severely damaged.

As Sir Archibald Sinclair said : “The rate of destruction increases, and the weight oi attack delivered on enemy shipping in the past fortnight of this month exceeds anything previously achieved.”

Another notable success in the R.A.F.’s , offensive against German communications and supplies was scored yesterday when Blenheims of the Bomber Command carried cut what was officially described as a very successful attack on an enemy convoy escorted by anti-aircralt ships off the Dutch coast. Four ship, of fhe convoy were probably destroyed. Three ol them each of about 6000 tons were sot on fire and the fourth, of 1 about 4000 tons, blew up alter being hit astern. — Official Wireless.

TWO MILLION MILES.

MONTH OF FIGHTER RAIDS. RUGBY, July 19

Between June 14 and July 14 Fighter Command pilots flew over 2,000,000 nines, carry.iig out 36 successiui oileiio.ve sweeps over eiK-my territory. During ttieso sweeps they I destroyed 301 -VLesoerschnims arid ! prubaoly destroyed many others. In addition our bombers destroyed four Messerscliuntts and damaged others. These victories over enemy territory cost the Koval Air Force 118 fighters, while 17 p.lots -. were saved. Many others were seen to land by parachute in France. Another notable success in the Royal Air Force's offensive against German communications and supplies was scored to-day. when Blenheims of the Bomber Command carried out what was officially described as a very successful attack on an enemy convoy escorted by anli-airpratt 6hips off the Dutch coast. Four ships were probably destroyed. Three of them, each of about 6000 tons, were set on fire. The fourth, of about 4000 tons, blew up after being hit astern. Heavy bombers escorted by fighters bombed the docks at Dunkirk this aiternoon. Four enemy fighters were destroyed by the escort. From all these operations three of our bombers and two fighters arc missing. The enemy convoy off the Dutch coast was so heavily escorted by flakships that they almost equalled the number of vessels they escorted. The] fact tiiat nevertheless the convoy was ; broken up and four of the largest ves- 1 sels probably sunk is a tribute to the courage and daring with which the at- | tack was delivered. The vessel which blow up received at least four direct h.ts. The Blenheim which hit one of the others approached almost at sealcvel through violent anti-aircraft fire.

Details ol an attack by aircraft of the Coastal Command on an enemy supply ship off Norway this morning, j and of the welcome the bombers re|ceived froni the local Norwegian ini habitants is given in an Air Ministry I bulletin. The German ship was sightied off the Norwegian coast by Beaufort aircrait. They attacked, flying low to drop their bombs. One aircraft actually passed between the masts of the ship The pilot of another saw his bombs fall through the rigging. A few minutes later the bombers, which had to batik away steeply to avoid anti-aircraft fire, returned to rake the decks with machine-gun fire. The vessel meantime listed heavily and was steaming very slowly. As the aircraft went over, Norwegians came to the! doors of their, houses and waved and fishermen stood up in thoir boars also ' waving.

A communique states that enemy aircraft have flown near our coast to-day, but that none came inland. An enemy bomber was intercepted by our fighters off the South Coast this afternoon and allot down.—Official Wireless.