ENEMY SHIPS ATTACKED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24950, 24 June 1942, Page 5

ENEMY SHIPS ATTACKED

SEVERAL HIT BY GUNFIRE ENGAGEMENTS IN THE CHANNEL RUGBY, June 22. An Admiralty communique states: "During the past three nights there has been considerable patrol activity in the English Channel and southern parts of the North Sea, and loss and damage have been inflicted upon the enemy. In the early hours of last Friday morning one of our English Channel patrols sighted an enemy convoy of two supply ships, an armed trawler, and at least half a dozen E-boats. Our patrols at once attacked. The larger of the two German supply ships was hit by torpedoes, and some German E-boats were hit by gunfire. One of our coastal craft did not return, and the Admiralty regrets to report that she must be considered lost. The Germans have stated some of her crew were picked up and are" prisoners of war. "During Saturday ight one of our patrols of the light coastal forces made contact with an enemy force consisting of one patrol vessel and several Eboats. A spirited action followed, and the largest enemy ship—a patrol vessel of about 150 tons—was left stopped and burning fiercely. Some of the E-boats were also hit. There were no casualties or damage to our. forces. "On Sunday night a light coastal craft under the command of a lieutenant of the Polish Navy, and manned by the Polish Navy, sighted six enemy E-boats. He immediately attacked the E-boats, scattered, them, and drove them off, damaging some by gunfire. The Polish craft received superficial damage, but suffered no casualties."