GALLANT FIGHT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 98, 25 March 1942, Page 5

GALLANT FIGHT

BRITISH CONVOY ESCORT ITALIANS DRIVEN OFF. (United Press Association —Copvright.) <lO a.m.) RUGBY, March 24. An Admiralty communique tells of the torpedoing of an Italian warship in repeated attacks on one of our convoys in the Mediterranean.

The communique states that naval operations concerned with the ' passage of a convoy to Malta have been in progress in tiie Mediterranean during tire past lew days. On Sunday afternoon part of onr forces, under the command of Rear-Admiral P. L. Vian, D.S.O. , which was covering the passage of a convoy, made contact with a force of Italian cruisers the intention ot which clearly was to intercept and destroy the convoy. Rear-Admiral Vian's forces at once engaged the enemy. Details of this action have not yet been received, but it is known that the enemy was driven off without damage to our ships. Later the same afternoon the Italians made a further attempt to break through our covering forces and to destroy the convoy. This time the Italians included at least one battleship.

From the short reports so far received it appears that our forces carried out a most gallant and determined daylight torpedo attack on the strong enemy forces and one Italian battleship was seen to be hit by at least one torpedo.

After this the enemy ships withdrew and there was no further attempt on the part of the Italians to interfere with the passage of our convoy. The arrival ot the convoy at Malta was delayed by a sudden fierce gale which sprang up, thus giving the enemy air lorces an opportunity to carry out a series of heavy air attacks on the convoy on Monday. The worst that the enemy could do, however, did not prevent the most important supplies Rom reaching Malta. Full details are awaited, but it is known that enemy claims to have sunk British warships are without foundation, although one merchant ship was sunk.

An R.A.F. Middle East communique says that on Monday during an attack on our shipping in the Mediterranean Hurricanes and Spitfires shot down three enemy bombers in addition to damaging many others. Three of our aircraft arc missing. A Malta message says yesterday the enemy concentrated his attacks on shipping near the island. British fighters gave all-day protection to the 1 shipping which was attacked continui ouslv by many bombers. The enemy ceased attacking late in the afternoon. They had suffered severe casualties without loss to the R.A.F., our fighters destroyed three, also probably two more and damaging six others. It is known that anti-aircraft guns badly damaged one enemy plane and damaged another. Very slight damage was done to civilian property and two persons were slightly injured.—Official Wireless.

Rear-Admiral Vian, who holds the D.S.O. with two bars, is one of the most colourful figures in the Navy today. As a captain ho commanded the destroyer Cossack when the famous rescue of the Britisli prisoners aboard the Altmark was effected in a Norwegian fiord. The Cossack has since been lost. Vian was also in command of the destroyer Al'rida when she was sunk, in Nainsos fiord, -Norway, during the British evacuation. When the German battleship Bismarck was sunk alter a chase in the Atlantic Vian commanded the destroyer force which pursued her.

ITALIAN LINER SUNK. NEW YORK, March 23.

Reports have readied here from marine sources in England that the 13,000-ton Italian liner Victoria, a last motor-ship and one of the prides of the Italian merchant marine, has been struck by British aerial torpedoes and undoubtedly sunk.

The British planes are reported to have surprised the vessel near Tripoli and to have scored direct hits which lelt the liner burning fiercely. The Victoria had recently been supplying Axis forces in Libya.