THE COASTAL COMMAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23870, 22 January 1941, Page 7

THE COASTAL COMMAND

MANIFOLD ACTIVITIES

ANTI-SUBMARINE OPERATIONS

British Wireless LONDON, Jao. 20 The work of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command covers a wide field from rescuing the crews of merchantmen to sinking enemy submarines. Large numbers of shipwrecked mariners owe their lives to Sunderlands. of the Coastal Command, which, far out over the sea. have seen ships, boats and rafts struggling with the rough Atlantic waters. On two occasions aircraft were able to land near boats to take aboard survivors from some torpedoed vessel, but usually the rescue is effected by naval vessels Directed to the scene. Escorts for convoys is another important part of the Coastal Command work, and since the outbreak of war 4700 convoys have been escorted, necessitating 16,500 separate sorties. During the past few months the average monthly flying time was as much as 5300 hours. This work, coupled with anti-sub-marine operations, is of vital importance, and the command is rapidly devising means to counter night attacks by submarines on convoys. It is found that by day the presence of aircraft, even if no opportunity to attack is presented, keeps the submarines below the surface, and always hinders-and often completely upsets attacks on ships. So far during patrols '260 submarines have been sighted and over 160 attacks have been made on them. Minelaying is another activity of the Coastal Command in which a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm renders greatassistance. Attacks on enemy shipping have yielded good results, and the Coastal Command claims 50,000 tons of enemy shipping sunk in recent months. These diverse duties also include continuous reconnaissance and sustained bombing attacks on submarine bases in occupied France, on which in quite reI cent weeks over 100 tons of bombs have been dropped. STATEMENT EXPECTED EAST AFRICA OPERATIONS LONDON, Jan. 20 it is anticipated that the Foreign Minister, Mr. Anthony Eden, will take an early opportunity of making a full and important statement on events in the East African theatre, with particular reference to the situation in Abyssinia, where recently a revolt has been spreading rapidly. Hie Empress of Abyssinia, with her two daughters and six grandchildren, has left London on tiie first stage of a journey to join Haile Selassie. The Crow i jewels are already packed in preparation for the re-establishment of the Court at Addis Ababa. A Nairobi communique states that South Alrican troops captured prisoners in the El Yibo area, close to the Italian Somaliland frontier, north of Dukana. The enemy dead include two European officers and nine natives. Four light machine-guns and some material have also been captured. Active patrolling has been carried out on all fronts. A clash between one South African patrol and an enemv patrol on the El Wak road, in Kenya, resulted in the capture of an enemy band. Although operations are restricted by the weather, the Royal Air Force has carried out a number of reconnaissance and fighter patrols. In Italian East Africa motor transport and gun positions were attacked east of Tessenei on the night of January 18-19. Massawa was twice raided the same night! Raids were also made on Assab, Eritrea, and Hargeisa, British Somaliland. All the British aircraftreturned safely.