HEAVY FIGHTING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23810, 11 November 1940, Page 7

HEAVY FIGHTING

EQUATORIAL AFRICA DE GAULLE EXPEDITION BRITISH SHIPS PRESENT FRENCH SUBMARINE SUNK By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received November 10, .10.15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10 The Vichy Government admits that a Free French force under General de Gaulle has landed near Libreville and says there is heavy J fighting in Equatorial Africa, where J "the situation is now difficult." It is officially stated that a British [ naval squadron shelled Libreville in order to cover the landing of General de Gaulle's troops. The French garrison which is loyal to Vichy is resisting in a bitter battle. No news of the outcome of the engagement is available. Four British light cruisers of the Kent class are reported to have cruised off Libreville for several days before the attack, but no French warships were present. The British ships are alleged to have hammered Libreville for several hours. General de Gaulle's force landed in small launches on both sides of Libreville. The British Admiralty last night denied that British warships had shelled Libreville or assisted in the landing of General de Gaulle's troops. The only naval engagement in which the British naval squadron was concerned was in resisting an attempt by a Vichy submarine, the Poncelet, to sink a British warship without warning. The Poncelet came to the surface after the British ships had taken retaliatory action, and was then scuttled by her crew, who were saved. SUBMARINE OVERDUE NOW CONSIDERED LOST (Received November 10, 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. <j The Admiralty announces that the British submarine H 49, commanded by Lieutenant R. E. Coltart, D.S.C., is overdue, and must be considered lost. The H 49, which had a displacement of approximately 500 tons, was built in 1919 under the war emergency programme. The H 49 carried four 21-inch torpedo tubes, and had a normal complement of 22. GERMAN CLAIM DENIED SINKING OF DESTROYERS (Received November 10, 10.15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10 It is authoritatively stated that a report from Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that six of the 50 American destroyers traded to Britain have already been sunk, is "a complete fabrication," and without an atom of truth. The report stated that the destroyers had been lost while on convoy work. Two were reported to have, been sunk while convoying the Empress of Britain, which was sunk off the Irish coast on October 26.