HEAVY ENEMY PLANE LOSSES

Southland Times, Issue 24773, 18 June 1942, Page 5

HEAVY ENEMY PLANE LOSSES

A combined Admiralty and Air Ministry communique reveals the complete inaccuracy of the Italian claims to have sunk cruisers and to have damaged a battleship and an aircraft-car-rier in the operations between Bardia, Sicily and the African coast. The communique says: “The Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy with the co-operation of the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Forces delivered supplies to the garrisons at Malta and Tobruk. The operations have been carried through in face of very heavy attacks by superior enemy naval and air forces. The fantastic enemy claims are without any foundation. Loss and damage have also been inflicted on the enemy by the Navy and Royal Air Force and United States planes. One 10,000 ton eightinch gun cruiser of the Trento class was sunk. At least two destroyers were also sunk, while heavy losses were imposed on the enemy air forces.” ITALIANS ATTACKED Fuller official details are contained in a special Royal Air Force communique issued in Cairo today. It states: “For the past four days the Allied Air Force has been supporting naval operations in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean. On Sunday evening an Italian force, including two battleships and four destroyers, was sighted south of Taranto. They were shadowed and during the night were attacked by long-range torpedo aircraft from Malta and Africa. The attacks were simultaneous and it is known that a number of hits was made on the battleships and that fires were caused. One Trento class cruiser was set on fire by

bombs and sunk by an aircraft torpedo. One six-inch gun cruiser and one destroyer were also hit. The enemy then turned to the north and during the following night was shadowed to his “On Monday morning a second force of cruisers and destroyers in the neighbourhood of Pantellaria was attacked by torpedo aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force. One cruiser was hit and set on fire and one destroyer was probably hit.” . It is also officially stated that during these actions our naval forces were covered by our fighters and many bombing attacks were intercepted. On one occasion 40 Junkers 87’s and Junkers 88’s escorted by more than 20 Messerschmitt 109’s were intercepted and the enemy was compelled to jettison his bombs far from the ships. It is known that considerable losses were inflicted by our machines, but details are not yet available. It is authoritatively stated that there is little doubt that the. Italian attack on our convoys in the Mediterranean was on a large scale and with the enemy able to employ large numbers of shore-based planes some losses are to be expected. However, until our ships unload and are safely dispersed there is unlikely to be a communique.

Rome radio has reported that an Italian fleet, with a powerful force of battleships and submarines, participated in the Mediterranean battle. It is almost certain to prove the greatest sea and air battle of the war. The Rome communique admits the loss of a heavy cruiser in this engagement.