STIRRING NAVAL ACTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 99, 26 March 1942, Page 5

STIRRING NAVAL ACTION

HOW CONVOY WAS SAVED HEROIC ATTACKS BY VIAN'S FORCE (United Press Association. —Copyright.—ltec. 12 noon) RUGBY, March 25. It is now possible to give some further details of the naval operations in the Mediterranean on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, these being contained in an Admiralty communique which tells a thrilling story.

The communique states: ''As already announced, these operations had as their object tlie, passage ot a convoy carrying important supplies to Malta, the object of which was successfully achieved., The weather conditions on Sunday were very bad and air reconnaissance could not be relied on Early on Sunday afternoon an enemy force consisting of four cruisers was sighted to northward. The enemy was at once attacked by our light cruisers and destroyers under the command of Rear-Adrniral P. L. Vian, and the enemy was driven off without having inflicted any damage to our convoy, its escorts or its covering force. "Soon after 4.50 p.m. on Sunday. Admiral Vian again sighted the enemy. This time they consisted of one battleship of the Littorio class, two heavy 8-in. gun cruisers, and four other cruisers, accompanied by destroyers.

on Tuesday morning, but without inflicting any further damage. That' the very large scale of air effort was em-ployed-by the enemy achieved so little success is due to the close co-operation of the R.A.F., the most effective antiaircraft of the convoy and its escorts, and also the fine seamanship and steadiness of the ships in the convoy. "Thcso operations, in which our light forces fought off and severely damaged a greatly superior enemy and repulsed continual heavy air attacks, constitutes a notable achievement."

The fanciful figures given by the Italian News Agency of British submarine losses in'the Mediterranean to impress their own population are in tho customary tradition of Axis arithmetic. By at least doubling the actual numbers the Italians claim that 55 British submarines have been destroyed by the Italian Navy since the country entered the war, whereas tho facts ph'ow that the total British submarino losses sincfe the beginning of the war have .been 36, of which nine were sustained before the entry of Italy—so that the actual figure to date is 27. At tho same time it may be presumed that some of these were lost in waters other than the Mediterranean.

"Despite the great disparity of force, .uuui.ral V iuii at once led his light cruisers and destroyers to the attack in order to drive the enemy away from the convoy. During the brilliant action which followed, our destroyers delivered a torpedo attack on the enemy, closing the powerful enemy squadron to a range or three miles before firing their torpedoes." "In pressing home this attack the destroyers received valuable support from our light cruisers, litis dctcjnnncd attack against a greatly superior force not only inflicted serious damage on the enemy but threw him into confusion and forced him to retire without having made contact with our convoy. "The Littorio class battleship was seen to be hit amidships by a torpedo. She was also hit by gunfire from our cruisers and set on lire aft. Severe damage was also inflicted upon one enemy cruiser * and a second enemy cruiser was hit

NATION FILLED WITH PRIDE. The Prime Minister has sent the following telegram to the Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean: "I shall bo glad if you will convey to Admiral Vian and all who sailed with him the admiration which 1 feel at this resolute and brilliant action by which the Malta convoy was saved. "That o.ne of the most powerful modern battleships afloat, attended by two heavy and four light craisers, and a destroyer flotilla, si ould have been routed and put to flight with severe torpedo and gunfire injury in broad daylight by a force of five British light cruisers and destroyers constitutes a naval episode of the highest distinction and entitles all ranks and ratings concerned, and above all their commander, to the

"By the skilful use of smoke screens our force avoided serious damage. Some damage, however, was suffered by one of our destroyers, 'the casualties were not heavy. "After this action the Italian fleet made no further attempt to intercept our convoy and withdrew towards its bases ATTACKS FROM THE AIR. "Throughout Sunday our convoy and its escorts and its covering force were subjected to continuous bombing attack«. During the afternoon, while our iight forces were engaged with the enemy fleet, these air attacks increased in intensity and it is estimated tiiat, about 150 bombers were used. .No damage or casualties were caused to any of Hi.= Majesty's ships or to the convov by anv of these heavy air attacks." Details of the losses inflicted upon the enemy air forces have not yet been received. '•The convoy was again heavily attacked from the air on Monday. During these series of attacks one ship of the convoy was hit and subsequently sank. One destroyer was also hit. but has since reached harbour. "The enemy renewed his air attacks

compliments of the British nation." It is pointed out in naval circles that the arrival of important supplies in Malta in the convoy which was so strenuously attacked will greatly strengthen the island's resistance to the present heavy air attacks. The successful arrival of theso stores is an achievement of no small difficulty in the face of strong enemy forces which are able to operate from nearby bases on both sides of the Mediterranean, and it is especially admirable in view of the British inability to provide fighter aircraft to cover the whole way since the loss of Benghazi. Note is taken of the Italian claims to have sunk or damaged numbers of British warshios and merchantmen, which, as usual, have turned out to be wildly exagcrated.—Official Wireless. A tress Association cablegram says: Tho Daily Express understands that the torpedoed Italian battleship mentioned in the Admiralty communique was the 35,000-ton Littorio, Italy s newest capital ship.'