NAVAL ATTACKS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 10 September 1941, Page 6

NAVAL ATTACKS

HEAVY TOLL OF AXIS SHIPS FROM MURMANSK TO MEDITERRANEAN GERMAN CONVOYS AND TROOPS SUFER (Rec. 2.0 p.m.) London, Sept. 9. j From Murmansk to the Medij terranean comes further evid- | ence of the success of Britain’s j offensive against the Axis. An | Admiralty communique states I that light forces under the com- ; mand of Rear-Admiral P. Lev- ! ian have been operating against German convoys and troops on the Murmansk front. These operations have been successful. A German destroyer, an armed trawler and another vessel have been sunk. The German light cruiser Bremse damaged by the naval aircraft raid 6n Kirkenes in July is believed to have been j sunk and other ships probably ! damaged. We sustained no i casualties. CONVOY ROUTED IN ENGLISH CHANNEL I An enemy convoy of two supply ship? ! with a strong escort was intercepted ! arid attacked last night by our patrols jin the English Channel. In the first j attack just before midnight one supply • i ship of about 3500 tons was hit by a tor- ! pedo and obviously badly damaged and probably sunk. While the enemy convoy was being shadowed after the first | attack an engagement occurred between our ships and the enemy convoy escort. | In this engagement one E-boat was proI bably sunk and an armed trawler set I on fire. ! Shortly afterwards a second attack i was made on an enemy convoy. In this i attack the remaining supply ship of about 4000 tons, was torpedoed. This j caused a very big explosion and much wreckage was seen thrown into the air. ,1 The sinking of this ship was confirmed ; by air reconnaissance this morning j when the masts of a new wreck and ; much wreckage were seen. The only ; casualties suffered on our ships during : the operations were four wounded. One I of the vessels which torpedoed and sank a supply ship was a motor torpedo-boat 1 manned by men of the Norwegian navy, ITALIAN CRAFT SUNK j A large Italian schooner has been torpedoed and sunk by one of our submarines in Ihe Central Mediterranean. Off the harbour of Benghazi another of our submarines engaged two selfpropelled supply lighters by gunfire. Both were hit and damaged, and one may have been sunk.—U.P.A.