WORKING FOR ALLIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 202, 27 August 1943, Page 3

WORKING FOR ALLIES

TWO FRENCH DESTROYERS R,ugby, Aug. 24. British and American light naval forces engaged in normal sweeps of the coast of Salabria Peninsula, states a North African naval communique. It announces also that the French heavy destroyers Le Fantasque and Le Terrible are now working in active co-operation with the Allied naval forces in the Mediterranean. The communique adds that in a recent message to the American naval military forces concerned, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham mentioned the admiration with which he watched the splendid and rapid advance of the Seventh Army to Messina during te Sicilian campaign. He said that he was fully aware of the great contribution made by the American navy, and asked that hi* satisfaction might be expressed to all the American naval personnel on the north coast of Sicily on what became a model of the effective application of sea power in support of land operations. The French destroyers Fantasque and Terrible are two of the French ships in French African ports which came over to the Allies when the Allied forces landed in North-west Africa last October. Both vessels, which belong o he Fantasque class, have a displacement of 2569 tons. They arc probably the fastest destroyers in the world, all the vessels ’of this class having a speed exceeding 43 knots. The French claim that the Terrible reached a record speed of | 45,25 knots. The Fantasque and the ! Terrible accompanied the French bat- | tieship Richelieu to New York to be made ready for fighting.—B.O.W.