VIGILANT NAVY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25625, 28 August 1944, Page 6

VIGILANT NAVY

ENEMY SHIPPING ATTACKED FIFTY VESSELS DAMAGED (Rec. 8 p.m.) RUGBY, Aug. 26. The Royal Navy, since August 13, has sunk, set on fire, or badly damaged at least 50 German ships, trying to escape from the coast of Normandy, Brittany, Belgium, or Holland, while many others have been driven ashore in flames or in a sinking condition. Twenty-three ships have been definitely sunk, 15 badly damaged or probably sunk, and more than a dozen set on fire.

These vessels include destroyers, Eboats, R-boats, heavily-armed escort vessels, M-class mineweepers. auxiliary vessels, supply ships, and tankers. In all these actions about 12 British warships all told suffered no damage and only three slight casualties. The Admiralty says that light forces of the Royal Navy and the United States Navy to-day frustrated further enemy efforts to break out of ports in Northern France under cover of darkness. Before down to-day the frigate, H.M.S. Thornborough, and the French destroyer, La Combattante, intercepted and engaged a north-bound convoy of six armed coasters and an R-boat off ■ Cap D’antifer. British and American light forces joined in the action, sinking four enemy gun coasters and an R-bcat, and driving the remaining two gun coasters ashore. In a further engagement, British motor torpedo boats engaged six Rboats and two auxiliary vessels. A number of enemy ships, were damaged before they could reach temporary safety in Fecamp. Other British motor torpedo boats yesterday encountered a number of heavily-armed escort vessels south-west of the Hook of Holland. Torpedo hits were obtained on three enemy vessels, two of which blew up and sank, and a third was left severely damaged. In all three engagements the Allied forces suffered neither casualties nor damage.