BATTLE OF SEVEN SEAS

Southland Times, Issue 24682, 2 March 1942, Page 5

BATTLE OF SEVEN SEAS

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, February 28. An Admiralty communique states: A Junkers 88 was shot down in flames into the sea last night by the auxiliary vessel, H.M.S. Goatfell. A second Junkers was hit by anti-aircraft fire and prevented from attacking. This aircraft was not seen to crash, but when it disappeared in low visibility it was losing height and its engines appeared to have stopped. An explosion was heard shortly afterwards. No casualties or damage were suffered by the Goatfell.

Over the Mediterranean a Hurricane sergeant-pilot of the Royal Air Force fought a battle with five Junkers 88’s at tempting to bomb shipping off the North African coast. He destroyed one of the bombers, and probably .another, and damaged a third. The sergeant had been patrolling over a convoy for some time when he saw two Junkers well above him. Bombs dropped by the raiders fell wide of the mark, but while they were still falling the Hurricane climbed to the attack before the raiders could make off. The sergeant caught up with them and poured a long burst into the fuselage of one. Both planes made off hurriedly. t Half an hour later three Junkers 88’s attacked the convoy. The sergeant attacked in the face of machine-gun fire from the rearguns, and put the engine of one out of action. This plane flew away losing height. It is considered unlikely to have survived. The sergeant then silenced the reargunner of another plane with a second burst and wrecked one of the engines. The raider turned away almost immediately and plunged into the sea. The U.S. Navy Department announced that the tanker, R. Presor, was torpedoed off the Atlantic coast. It is reported from Manasquan, New Jersey, that two survivors from the tanker have landed there. They said they saw a motor lifeboat carrying 30 members of the crew. Flaming oil quickly surrounded the lifeboat. The fate of the men is unknown.

Cargo ship construction in the United States has already been boosted by 50 per cent .to counterbalance heavy sinkings and to prepare for the Allied expeditionary forces in 1943, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Journal adds: Goals tentatively set are 9,000,000 tons in 1942 and 15,000,000 in 1943, or 6,000,000 tons higher than President Roosevelt’s victory programme. Next year four ships will be launched each day. The Navy announced that the United States ship W. D. Anderson (10,000 tons) was torpedoed and sunk off the Atlantic coast. The lone survivor of the crew of 36 landed at Stuart (Florida). AMERICAN SUCCESSES The following reports have been received from submarines operating in the Far East: On February 23 two torpedo hits were scored against a large enemy ship; on February 24 two hits against a large auxiliary vessel; on February 25 one hit against an enemy transport and one against an unknown type of ship. Further, one enemy transport was hit on an undisclosed date. All these enemy ships are believed to have been sunk. A message from Honolulu says the Navy announced that United States submarines have returned to their Hawaiian base after a foray lasting many weeks in which they carried the war to the enemy’s front doorstep. They sank at least 44,900 tons of shipping, including a 17,000-ton Yawata Maru class converted liner. One submarine alone sank 15,000 tons of shipping. Submarine officers reported that Wake Island, which the Japanese occupied on December 22, now appears to be deserted.