Air-Laid Mines Account For 400 Enemy Ships

Northern Advocate, 29 June 1943, Page 3

Air-Laid Mines Account For 400 Enemy Ships

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 28. “Not less than 400 enemy warships, supply ships and small craft have been sunk or damaged by mines laid in European waters since the outbreak,” states the Admiralty and the Air Ministry in a joint communique. “It is probable that over 70 per cent, of these casualties can be attributed to mines laid by aircraft of the Bomber Command, whose activities have been sustained at a very high rate during the past 18 months, and whose ability to reach areas inaccessible to other types of minelayers renders them specially suited for operations of this nature. “Among recent successes by the Bomber Command was the mining in the Baltic of the German liner Gneisenau. Successes Against U-boats “Certain successes against U-boats are known. In one case, aircraft on patrol over the Bay of Biscay had the unusual experience of actually seeing a U-boat destroyed by a mine off Lorient.

“Offensive mineaying operations by all types of craft—surface and air—forced the enemy to close many of his ports from Oslo to Bayonne from time to time, and interrupted traffic in important waterways such as the Kiel Canal.

“Both the cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were damaged by mines laid by aircraft of the Bomber Command during their escape from Brest in addition to the damage they received by torpedo and bombing attacks from our light surface forces, naval aircraft and the R.A.F. Coastal Traffic Impeded

“Mines laid by naval forces within a few miles of the enemy coastline have been responsible for the sinking or damaging of many small warships and auxiliaries, together with numerous supply vessels. “Losses inflicted on the enemy by mining have already resulted in marked reduction of his coastwise traffic. Thus these operations are contributing materially to the destruction of supply lines on which his armed forces depend in their attempt to hold down occupied territories.”