ENEMY SHIPPING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24613, 22 May 1941, Page 7

ENEMY SHIPPING

LOSSES LAST WEEK SUCCESSFUL BRITISH ATTACKS THE NAVY AND AIRCRAFT (Rec. 7 p.m.) RUGBY, May 20. In widespread attacks on enemy shipping by units of the British Navy and R.A.F. during the week ending May .19, at least eight supply ships totalling 40,500 tons were destroyed or irreparably damaged. Four of these ships totalling 17,500 tons are known to have been sunk and the remainder were burning so badly when last seen that it is hardly possible for them to have been anything but total losses In addition, during a highly successful attack by aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm on an enemy convoy in the Mediterranean, when a merchant ship 'f 8000 tons blew up with a violent.explosion, an enemy destroyer was hit and clouds of smoke were seen (o ,pour from it. Daily attacks have been made on enemy shipping on the Dutch and French coasts and harbours occupied by the enemy. Perhaps the mest daring of these took place on May 14 when a single aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked a convoy of seven ships off the Dutch coast from a very low level, and in spite of heavy firing returned home safely after having torpedoed and sunk a 5000-ton supply vessel in the convoy. The following day a convoy off the Frisian Islands was attacked by aircraft of the Bomber Command and three supply ships of 5000 tons, 4000 tons and 2000 tons respectively were bombed and left burning.