"SYDNEY THE STAR."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 220, 16 September 1940, Page 4

"SYDNEY THE STAR."

DARING SEA EXPLOITS. WORK IN MEDITERRANEAN. (Air Mail.) SYDNEY, Sept. 14. A Bondi rating on H.M.A.S. Sydney, William Bonce, who is at home on leave, say* the Sydney in recognised as the <?tar ship (if the British Mediterranean fleet. He said the Sydney had made many daring attempts to force units of the Italian fleet to conic out and fight. 'On one occasion we patrolled off the Italian coast for nearly a week, but the Italians were too shy," said Bence. "We poured shells into ports and forts in Libya, but the only retaliation by the Italians was to send out a few bombers. They flew so high they could not be seen, and their bombing efforts were absolutely ludicrous. Bence claims that the Sydney destroyed the first Italian submarine lost ill the war. "We saw the 'garbage' come up after tossing over depth charges, but the Admiralty did not claim this as a sinking," he said. "The Mediterranean was alive with submarines for the first two weeks after Italy came in. Our section of the fleet was credited with 11, possibly 12, sinkings. These figures were far too conservative. The actual sinkings I would say were about 20. The Sydney also got first hits on an Italian destroyer, but missed credit for the sinking, which went to another ship."