ENEMY SHIPPING SUFFERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21969, 22 May 1941, Page 5

ENEMY SHIPPING SUFFERS

Eight Vessels Sunk Ini Week British Official Wireless RUGBY, May 20. In widespread attacks on enemy shipping by units of the British Navy and the Royal Ah- Force during the week ended last Monday 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-suc-cessful attack by aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm on an enemy convoy in the Mediterranean, when a merchant ship of 8000 tons blew up with a violent explosion, an enemy destroyer was hit and clouds of smoke seen to 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 most daring of these took place last Monday when a single aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked a convoy of seven ships off the coast of Holland from a very low level and, to spite of heavy firing, returned home safely after having torpedoed and sunk a 5000-ton supply vessel in the convoy. On the following day a convoy off the Frisian Islands was attacked by aircraft of the Bomber Command and three supply ships, of 5000, 4000 and 2000 tons respectively were bombed and left burning.