HEAVY TASK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23828, 2 December 1940, Page 8

HEAVY TASK

DUTIES OF FLEET ITALIANS HAMMERED SAFETY OF CONVOYS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright British Wireless LONDON, Nov. W The hammering which the Italian Navy received on Wednesday in the Mediterranean demonstrates the readiness of the Royal Navy to deal with any eventuality there. Naval circles in London, however, do not minimise the fact that in its threefold task—countering the invasion threat, carrying the war into enemy territory, and convoying munitions, materials and stores—the Navy is facing the greatest task in its history. It was added that the account of the proportion of ships sunk in convoys provided "most comforting" figures over the whole period. This year's losses were much less in proportion than those during the peak period of losses in 1917, when the P>rifi-h had 450 destroyers available and 10 to 15 for each convoy. The most significant naval fact since Italy's entry into the war uas that the Italians had made no mention of their movements in Greek or Dodecanese waters. For carrying troops to Libya, they had had to "crawl round the African coast, hugging French territorial waters, and had been most surprised to find the British in the wes to r n .M ed ite rra 11 ea 11." One accurate detail in the Italian communique in reference to Wednesday's -Mediterranean encounter :is rioted by the British newspapers, which reflect nation-wide jubilation at the navy's success in this running fight. The Italians admit that two of their aircraft are missing, which corresponds with the number which the Admiralty reports were shot down.

The Times remarks that the accuracy of the remainder of the Italian version may he gauged from the claim which multiplies by five the single British aircraft lost by "Vice-Admiral Sir James Somervijle's forces. DEFENCE ORDERS UNITED STATES OUTPUT PRESIDENT'S SATISFACTION WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 President Roosevelt said it was not thought necessary to invoke the priorities scheme in order to give the production of military aircraft precedence over commercial requirements. It was felt that the situation would work itself out without a formal order. The President said that the defence programme was progressing satisfactorily. He was particularly pleased to hear that armour plate production was improving, lie added that he had conferred with the Defence Commission in an effort to eliminate bottlenecks in tho machine tool industry.

The programme of destroyer construction was also speeding up, Mr. W. S. Knudsen, co-ordinator of defence production, was to examine destroyer construction and report on plans for speeding up. OFFER OF REWARD CHUNGKING AND WANG CONTINUATION OF STRUGGLE (Received December 1, 8.1.5 p.m.) SHANGHAI, Nov. 30 The Chungking Government'!} newspaper, Central News, states that the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Cluinghui, has offered a reward of 100,000 yuan for the arrest of Wang Ching-wei, head of the Japanese puppet Government. The Minister reiterated the determination of the Government to continue the fight against Japan. The Chinese claim to have smashed the Japanese offensive in Northern Htipeh Province. It is added that the Chinese recovered several points in North-West Suihsien and forced the Japanese to retire south. The Chinese claim the capture of many machineguns and hundreds of rifles. SHELLING OF DOVER LONDON, Nov. 29 German long-range guns on the French coast carried out their usual daily bombardment of Dover on Friday. A morning mist prevented the sighting of targets. RAILWAY COLLISION TWO KILLED, 10 INJURED LONDON, Nov. 29 The Berlin news agency states that two persons were killed and 10 injured when two trains collided near Bucharest. The line between Ploesti and Bucharest is closed as a result.