NAVAL FORCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24604, 12 May 1941, Page 5

NAVAL FORCES

ATTACKED BY BOMBERS MEDITERRANEAN ACTION NO DAMAGE SUFFERED (Rec. 11 p.m.) : RUGBY, May 10. An Admiralty communique states: "During operations in the Western Mediterranean German and Italian aircraft made repeated attacks on our naval forces. These attacks continued throughout the afternoon and evening of Thursday. May 8, but no damage was suffered by any of our ships. As each attack developed it was intercepted and broken up by naval fighters and subsequently driven off by them and by the anti-aircraft guns of the squadron. One of our fighters is missing. Another was lost, but the crew was saved. The enemy attacks were made by torpedo bomber aircraft, by high-level bombers escorted by fighters, and by dive-bombers escorted by fighters. In one case a formation of 25 divebombers escorted by Messerschmitt 110's was intercepted brilliantly and broken up and driven off by naval fighters before the attack could materialise. Losses inflicted upon the enemy included three torpedo bombers and one S. 79 destroyed by anti-air-craft fire of the squadron, and two torpedo bombers severely damaged. Naval fighters shot down one Junkers 87 and two S. 79's, and severely damaged one Junkers 87. one Messerschmitt 110, and one CR. 42. In addition to these casualties damage is known to have been inflicted on other enemy aircraft."