Convoy Fights Way Through To Malta

Northern Advocate, 15 August 1942, Page 3

Convoy Fights Way Through To Malta

(Rec. 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, August 14. The Admiralty announces that naval operations have been taking place in the western and central Mediterranean during the past few days. Our forces were under the command of Acting-Vice-Admiral E. N. Syfret.

These operations resulted in supplies and reinforcements reaching Malta despite very heavy enemy concentrations designed to prevent their passage.

Reinforcements included a number of fighter aircraft. Measures taken by the enemy consisted of U-boats and large numbers of torpedo-carrying and dive-bombing aircraft and strong forces of floats operating in the Central Narrows.

Enemy Avoids Combat

A force of enemy cruisers consisting of ships armed with eight-inch and sixinch guns, concentrated in the Tyrrhenian Sea and steered to the southward as if to attempt to interfere with the passage of our convoy. Enemy cruiser forces, however, never came within range of our ships and turned back on being attacked by aircraft. The results of this attack were not observed.

Enemy cruisers were intercepted and attacked on the way back to harbour by one of our submarines. Two hits with torpedoes were scored on the enemy cruisers.

Reports are awaited ox considerable air operations carried out by Naval aircraft and aircraft of the. Royal Air P’orce. The destruction of one boat has already been announced, and it is now certain that at least one more was sunk.

Manchester Sunk

The loss of the aircraft-carrier Eagle has already been announced and Are Admiralty regrets to announce the cruiser Manchester was damaged and subsequently sank. Many survivors have been picked up and it is believed others have reached the Tunisian coast since the position in which the ship sank was close to that coast. It is not to be expected that an extensive and dangerous operation of this type, carried out in close proximity - to enemy bases, can be completed without loss'. Any further information received by the Admiralty will be made known as soon as possible so far as this can be done without giving assistance to the enemy, whose published claims are known to be exaggerated. Importance of Task The captains of all merchantmen in the convoy, which has been the centre of such bitter fighting in the Mediterranean, received before departure a personal letter from the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Alexander). Such a message of encouragement underlines afresh the magnitude of the importance of the task undertaken night and day by the Merchant Navy. An Italian communique, in claiming further successes against a British convoy in the Mediterranean, admitted the loss of 19 planes and said two Italian naval units of medium tonnage were damaged, one badly. Malta’s Value The importance of Malta as sole base on the northern flank of the Mediterranean is emphasised by the fact that a convoy from Gibraltar was attacked by every weapon the Axis could muster.

The importance of maintaining Malta is made great by two factors. The island, as long as it can be fuelled, is a second front to Axis activities in the Central Mediterranean. It has diverted a formidable section of the Axis air force, and has accounted for many hundreds of planes. The second factor is that the island contains 300,000 Empire citizens who have gallantly and untiringly stood by Britain. The idea of failing to supply them cannot be entertained. Cruiser Manchester The cruiser Manchester, which was of the Newcastle class, had a displacement of 9100 tons and a complement of 700. Her armament was 12 six-inch guns, eight four-inch guns, six torpedo tubes and anti-aircraft armament. She carried three aircraft. The Polish destroyer, Kujaiwiak, which has had a proud career, including the sinking of two enemy ships, has been sunk while on convoy work in the Mediterranean. Berlin radio revealed that waves of carrier-borne planes heavily raided the bases from which Axis aircraft are attacking' the Malta-bound convoy.