British Destroyer Captures Italian Ship

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 4, 6 January 1941, Page 5

British Destroyer Captures Italian Ship

AVALANCHE BURIES ITALIAN GUNNERS Received Sunday, 7.20 p.m. LONDON, January 4. It is revealed that a British destroyer captured an Italian ship in Bardia harbour just before the big attack began. Nine British prisoners were found aboard. A second Italian ship was sunk. The British Associated Press correspondent with the British fleet says the Australians attacked Bardia on January 3 immediately after the completion of the Battle fleet’s bombardment, lasting from 5.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. The Ladybird. Aphis and Terror, which had been flinging shells into Bardia for over six weeks, opened the shelling before dawn, plastering the enemy bases for two hours till joined by the battle fleet, which battered long lines of Italian tanks, armoured units and motor transport moving along the desert highway. The Italian batteries replied, the shells falling into the sea.

Then a tremendous British salvo caused a whole section of the cliff to crumble like an avalanche and hundreds of tons of sand and rock buried the Italian gunners and their guns fired no more.