MALTA CONVOY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 234, 4 October 1943, Page 5

MALTA CONVOY

RUNS AXIS GAUNTLET EPIC OF MEDITERRANEAN SIEGE Recd. 7.30 p.m. Rugbv, Oct. 2 Now that once again the way to Malta, is open, the story can be told of the vessels that battered their passage through in June, 1942 —the first merchantmen to reach Malta for lour nfonths. On June 4, 1942, there sailed from Clyde six merchantmen carrying In all 50,000 tons of food, munitions and petrol. The convoy was escorted to Gibraltar by two heavy cruisers, destroyers and sloops. At Gibraltar a battleship and two aircraft-carriers were added.

On June 14 enemy planes came over in formation of 30 to 50 from all directions. The number of aircraft and bombs dropped was so numerous that it was impossible to keep count. Gunners aboard the merchant and naval ships fought stripped to the waist and their guns were almost red hot. Thirty enemy aircraft were shot down, some by Hurricanes from the carriers.

During the night flares were dropped by the aircraft and the ships were warned that surface craft were coming in to attack. After a submarine had been sunk by an escort a cruiser was struck and a Dutch merchantman sunk by torpedo-bombing planes. At dawn next day an Italian squadron of two Bin. gun cruisers and five destroyers appeared. They opened fire at long-range and salvoes fell right and left of the convoy but none of the merchantmen was hit. Escorts laid a smoke screen between the enemy and the convoy and, dashing into the attack, drove the Italian ships away. Later came dive-bombers based on Sicily. Another merchantman was hit and burst into flames and began careering into the midst of the convoy. As she was loaded with explosives the remaining ships crammed on extra speed to avoid her. Soon after the crew had abandoned her the oil tanks exploded and she sank, leaving a tremendous pall of fire and smoke visible for t'.he rest of the day. Air attacks were incessant throughout the rest of the passage, rising to a peak between Pantellaria and Malta, where submarines also attacked without success. Then two more merchantmen were sunk by dive-bombers. This left only the Troilus and the Orari of the original six. As these neared the harbour more enemy aircraft were dropping mines. Two destroyers and a mine-sweeper were mined and the Orari struck a mine that exploded m the only hold which held neither petrol nor ammunition, but she limped into port. After discharging their cargoes the two ships left, carrying scrap metal and ammunition cases and a large number of worn-out gun barrels. Much scrap was the wreckage of Axis aircraft. The Troilus and the Orari were the only two ships to reach Malta and discharge between February and August. Their 20,000 tons of food, munitions, petrol and raw materials brought sorely needed relief to the garrison and helped lay the foundations of victory in the Mediterranean.—B.O.W.