HEAVY TOLL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24421, 5 October 1940, Page 11

HEAVY TOLL

ENEMY SUBMARINES NINE IN RECENT WEEKS ITALIAN DESTROYER SUNK TORPEDOED IN ADRIATIC (By Wireless) LONDON, Oct. 4. (Received Oct. 5, at 1.30 a.m:) An Admiralty communique issued this morning reveals tnat during the past few. weeks the -,, v Nayy and the Fleet Air Arm defrayed seven German U-boats? and two Italian submarines and damaged others. It was also stated; ;tha't attacks on merchant shipping by enemy submarines recently had been moie successful than earlier in the war This was to be expected after the collapse of France and the seizure of its Atlantic ports by the enemy, as U-boats operating, from . these ports could remain'longer at sea. The Admiralty issued a reminder that news "of the sinking of enemy submarines could not always be announced immediately, as this would be giving useful information to the enemy. Besides, the loss of a submarine without knpwledge of the circumstances to the enemy had a definite ! effect .on the crews of other U-boats. When no news was given out, it did not mean that no successes had been obtained. It was also announced by the Admiralty that.; the British submarine Osiris torpedoed and sank ah Italian destroyer in the, Adriatic on: September 22.: Two weeks earlier it-sank an Italian supply ■ ship of 3000 tons The destroyer was of the Courtatone class, and was of 966 tons, a type used for mine-laying. It had a speed of 32'knots, and carried a complement of 105 men. .