BRILLIANT FEAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23994, 18 June 1941, Page 8

BRILLIANT FEAT

ILLUSTRIOUS 1 BATTLE

SIX AIR ATTACKS SUCCESSFUL DEFENCE STOIiiY NOW RELEASED By Telenrnph—Press Association —Copyright (Reed. r>.s p.m.) LONDON, June 10 The story of the brilliant organisation of seamanship and gunnery which saved the aircraft-carrier Illustrious when sho was subjected to a series of air attacks in the Mediterranean on January 10 has now been made public by the Admiralty, says a British official wireless message. Within a few hours this ship was the main target for six air attacks, in which nearly 100 German and Italian aeroplanes took part. Both bombs and torpedoes were aimed at her, but only a very small proportion ol' the scores of bombs dropped registered hits. The Illustrious was sailing with the Battle Fleet when the early attacks were made. The first attack was by a couple of torpedo-bombers. Both launched their torpedoes at her, but the aircraft-carrier altered course in good time and they missed. Naval aircraft from the carrier chased these bombers back to the shore. Day's Worst Attack Soon afterwards, however, German dive-bombers launched the worst attack of the day. In wave after wave, some 40 of them dived on the Heet. concentrating on the lliustrious. In spite of the fierce tire From the anti-aireralt guns ol the Illustrious, the avoiding action' taken by her commanding otlicer; and the light made by the carrier s aircraft against heavy odds, several heary bombs struck her. These not onlj put. some of the anti-aircraft guns out of action and did damage betweeudecks, . but they also started several fires both fore and alt. Still the guns' crews kept up their barrage, and pilots and gunners of the Fleet Air Arm attacked Junkers divebombers overhead, while the ship took avoiding action. Two British naval pilots who had exhausted their ammunition in an earlier tight made dummy attacks on German dive-bombers and put them off their aim. Fight Against Fires It was then that a high degree of efficiency achieved in the centralisation Of the damage control organisation oi the ship was manifested. Most of the numerous small tires winch had been started by bombs in various parts of the ship were quickly put out, and the damage done below decks was soon shored up. A serious tire in a section ol one liangar, however, defied all the efforts ot' reinforced fire-fighting parties. The damage caused by a heavy bomb in this section hampered the efforts to fight the blaze. The fire-fighting parties were driven back, but they still made every effort to confine ihe flames to the section on which they had a hold. Now the Illustrious, with destroyers in attendance, turned and headed for Malta. At this stage the steering gear broke down, and the ship had to be steered with her engines. She was also developing a list because of the accumulation of water being poured on the fires Orde.il in Boiler-rooms Down m the boiler-rooms conditions were growing almost unbearable Ihe draught fans were pouring down thick clouds of black smoke and the fumes of chemical fire-extinguishers. But steam had to bo maintained at all costs, and the men in the boiler-rooms held on doggedly.-They had to breathe through weTcloths, gasping to get each breath, j Then a third air attack on the. ship was launched. This was a high-level j bombing attack hv seven bombers, which were sighted far oil and tackled in gopd time by the fighters protecting tho Illustrious. The attackers were forced to drop their bombs harmlessly in tho sea. While this attack was being beaten off, the Illustrious was temporarily out of control, and was swinging in wide circles She was got under control and again headed for Malta. Barrage oi Shells Soon 15 Junkers dive-bombers, protected by five fighters, wore seen approaching. The first wave dived to attack, and two of its bombs fell near the ship. The second wave followed j quickly-; but was no more successful, although one bomb scored a near miss. The gun crews of the Illustrious, , although handicapped by the smoke j from the fire in their ship, put up such j a barrage that this attack was not j pressed home. j After the second wave had been held j off, the rest of the German aircraft j started to retire. They made one last ' attempt to attack, but were driven off without dropping bombs. Attack Hear Malta Tho Illustrious was getting near j 'Malta, but another bombing attack was; yet to' be made. With only a few miles j to go, 17 enemy aircraft appeared. I his was a combined attack by high-level and • dive-bombing. Again the Illustrious J fought them off, and continued on her ! way toward Malta. She was in sight j of the harbour when the last alarm was j raised. Two enemy torpedo-bombers j were sighted, but the Illustrious opened j , such a hot and accurate fire that no definite attack developed. Thus, after about seven hours of air i Attacks, the Illustrious reached port. ■ ]'lvon then she was the focus for a number of air attacks. Apart from very 1 heavy losses inflicted on the enemy during raids on Malta, the Illustrious and her aircraft imposed the lollowing losses | on the enemy during attacks at sea: lS'ine German aircraft were soon to be phot down, five by naval aircraft and four by gunfire; a, further seven were , seen to be- damaged, and at least two , of these almost certainly failed to re- i turn to their base. Tho Illustrious later steamed to Alexandria, whore repairs were carried out. PLANES FOR EGYPT AIR DELIVERY POSSIBLE , (Tired. 10.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 17 I The New York Times says that at a '• conference at the White House, Presi- ' 'lent Koosevelt, the Secretary for War, ' Mr. H. L. Stimson, the Chief of i Naval Operations, Admiral 11. R. I Stark, Mr. Harry Hopkins, "aid-for-jiritain administrator," and Major- ( General H. H. Arnold, Chief of the ' Army Air Corps, discussed the question 1 of flying American warplanes from the { United States to Brazil, across tho South Atlantic to Gambia or Free- ' lown, West Africa, and then to Egypt. ' At prosont aeroplanes are shipped to I Gambia.

TANKER SHELLED I/OXDnx, June 17 It authoritatively stated that on «luno 12 a Norwegian tanker was shelled by a Vichy shore hat lory oil the lies da Los (near the coast of French Guinea, West Africa and was also by Vichy aircraft.