BOTH SIDES PREPARE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 10 September 1941, Page 5

BOTH SIDES PREPARE

WAR SEASON IN LIBYA TOLL OF AXIS CONVOYS Rugby, Sept. 8. The achievements of British submarines in the Mediterranean, which have been prominent lately, i illustrate the determined efforts by the Axis to maintain their communications with Libya and reinforce the North African armies in lace of the British attempts to interrupt the sea route and weaken the enemy forces on the western side of Egypt. Both sides are evidently aiming at obtaining a more favourable position before the campaigning season starts. I “The Times’’ observes:— “In a sea where summer generally favours the defence rather than the submarine, no escort has proved strong enough to deter our submarines from the attack. The Italian cruiser which v as torpedoed on 24th August was one of three escorted by six destroyers and n squadron of flying-boats. The liner Esperial was escorted by destroyers, torpedo-boats, and flying-boats, but that did not save her from being sunk tff Tripoli itself. TWO-TO-ONE CHANCE ? “These incidents are but two of th« much larger number reported in the last week or two. Two other large liners besides the Esperial were hit by torpedoes while sailing in convoy, and ci:e. believed to have been the Duilio, of 23,600 tons, was almost certainly ! sunk. The Duilio was one of a convoy of three, and if the troops sent in the largest and fastest transports stand only a two-to-one chance of getting across without being torpedoed the effect on their morale must be discouraging. “However, the enemy is getting a great deal of what he sends to Libya through to the destination, so the return of the campaigning season may find the Axis forces stronger than before summer. The enemy has evidently strained every nerve to strengthen them, even accepting losses which might well have been prohibitive and may yet prove to have been a decisive factor.”