AJAX FIGHTS AGAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24431, 17 October 1940, Page 6

AJAX FIGHTS AGAIN

According to legend that Ajax described as "“ the Greater,” who was King of Salamis, was a man of mighty stature, daring and selfconfident; The tradition wears well in respect of Ajax, unit of his Majesty’s fleet, and the gallant men who fight her. With her River Plate honours still fresh upon her, Ajax has again shown her quality in- action against odds, this time in the Mediterranean, that sea in which the glorious Italian navy—according to report that may itself be legendary one day, though in the ironic sense—is supposed to dominate. The exploits of the British cruiser have to be regarded in relation to a week of markedly successful activity on the part of the British naval and air forces in the eastern and central Mediterranean, but they are still sufficient in themselves to evoke the strongest feelings of pride and gratitude. The story told in the latest Admiralty communique is one of positive achievement, while sparing and modest as usual in the matter of detail. Ships of the Mediterranean squadron, we are informed, carried out during the week an extensive sweep of enemy waters. No contact was made between the main British forces and those of the enemy. H.M.S. Ajax, however, her South Atlantic luck still holding, was patrolling alone when she encountered an Italian destroyer flotilla off the south-east coast of Sicily in . the small hours of October 12. The three enemy ships with which she met were immediately engaged, two of them being “ sunk outright ” —as the terse phrase of the communique has it —and the third escaping. No sooner was this success scored than Ajax again came upon the enemy, this time in strength of five to one in opposition to her. The Italian squadron comprised a heavy cruiser and four destroyers. i3uch superiority in numbers and gunpower did not daunt the British cruiser, which again went into action and crippled one of the enemy destroyers before the remainder resorted to the familiar Italian strategy of flight under cover of darkness. Next day the damaged destroyer was accounted for, but only after her crew had been permitted to abandon ship and their position had been indicated to the enemy base for rescue purposes, at considerable risk to Ajax and her consort York, which I had come by this time into the I action. So the British cruiser’s

bag, in an exciting twenty-four hours, was three enemy ships, one of them of very modern class, at the cost of few casualties and no important structural damage to herself. Such a victory might well be regarded as complete in itself. Yet it was only part of the heavy price paid by the enemy for the week’s operations. An Italian air attack on the main British squadron was beaten of! with the loss of four enemy machines shot down for certain and two more probably destroyed. Our forces suffered neither casualties nor damage. British submarines, in addition, took their toll of armed enemy merchant and supply ships, four of which are reported to have been destroyed. These losses, combined with the harassing operations conducted against Italian land forces and bases of . supply by the R.A.F., made the week one which it will give Signor Mussolini and his senior partner in the Axis no pleasure to contemplate. The war in: the Mediterranean area, like that in the theatre of which London is the centre, is still not going, for the Axis, “according to plan.” ''