Italian Cruiser Hit Twice by Bombs

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 80, 3 April 1941, Page 7

Italian Cruiser Hit Twice by Bombs

R.AJVs SHARE IN BATTLE (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, April L Details of the part piayeu by the R.A.F. which has receiveu a message of congratulations from the Air Officer Commauding-in-Chief the Middle Bast, iu the great naval action in the lonian fclea are now revealed by an announcement from Ii.A.F. headquarters at Cairo.

Betting off on normal raids on military objectives in Tripolitania, the R.A.F. received the news that a large part of the Italian Navy was actually at sea, and it is continued that the action of these squadrons resulted in one enemy cruiser being hit twice for certain, while another cruiser was probably hit and one direct hit was made on a destroyer.

The pilot who scored two direct hits with heavy-calibre bombs on the heavy ship said: “Though they changed formation and zig-zagged quite a lot, ws spent some time taking aim and made a low-level attack. 1 saw two of my biggest 'bombs hit the largest of the ships amidships. Clouds of black and yellow smoke issued from her for a long time, and then she stopped. ’ ’

All the R.A.F. aircraft taking part returned undamaged. The British force in the Mediterranean battle comprised the battleships Warspite, Valiant, and Barham, the air-craft-carrier Formidable, the cruisers Ajax, Orion, Gloucester, and Perth, and destroyers, including some Greek. The Australian ships engaged were the Ferth and the destroyer Stuart.

The moral effect of Britain’s victory is enhanced by an authoritative statement of the relative strength of the forces engaged (says a British Official Wireless message.) This statement gives the following figures: —

British: Three battleships, one air-craft-carrier, four cruisers, and destroyers. Greek: Some destroyers. Italian: Three battleships, 11 cruisers j 14 destroyers. I The Athens correspondent of The I Times reports that the Stuart disabled | the Zara with torpedoes after the I battleships’ broadsides. The survivors include members of the crews of four | destroyers, indicating that four were sunk. The Stuart is believed to have I accounted for three of them. She was j seen raking one Italian destroyer with ; her guns at pistol-shot range.