EXTRAORDINARY LOSSES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 27 October 1941, Page 5

EXTRAORDINARY LOSSES

ITALIAN SHIPPING IN MEDITERRANEAN COMMENT BY ADMIRAL CUNNINGHAM Rugby, Oct. 25 “It is a wonder to me that Italian merchantmen are still willing to go to sea in view of the extraordinary losses they have sustained, but probably they are driven to it,” said Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in Chief in the Mediterranean, in an interview to-day. “The enemy losses have substantially increased above previous months’ losses, when they were estimated at 20 per cent, of the sailAdmiral Cunningham said he estimated that the Italian fleet, having had time to carry out repairs and taking into account the new launchings, probably now consisted of four or five battleship's. two or probably four eightinch gun cruise V. up to 14 six-inch gun cruisers, and numerous destroyers, the total of which it was impossible to estimate. The Italian submarine losses were a .out ’.'3 per cent. The Admiralty yesterday also announced the torpedoing of an Italian merchant cruiser by one of the Royal Navy’s submarines in the central Mediterranean. After being hit. the vessel hole had been blown in her side. She