NAVAL HISTORY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 44, 15 November 1940, Page 7

NAVAL HISTORY

Action Will Take High Place FIRST LORD’S REVIEW Black Week For Italian Arms LONDON, November 13. The full significance of the crippling blows which the Fleet Air Arm has struck at the Italian navy was brought home in a broadcast by Mr. A. V. Alexander. First Lord of the Admiralty. He said that this had been a most important week in the history of naval operations.

He emphasized that till this action took place the British battle fleet in the Mediterranean was fewer in number than that of Italy, and said: “Their numerical superiority has been reduced to inferiority.” Mr. Alexander said that the Italian warships had been able to offer only passive defence. He emphasized Mr. Churchill's .statement, that the results of the action at Taranto must be far-reaching. Not. only had the situation in the Mediterranean been transformed in a single naval action, but the balance of seapower throughout the oceans of the world had been decisively altered.

“1 said on November - that we would do all we could to assist Greece,'' he added. "Here at Taranto is the fulfilment of that pledge.” Mr. Alexander paid a tribute to the courage and .skill of the Fleet Air Arm. In all their actions, lie said, they have destroyed at least 55 enemy aircraft, severely damaged at least an equal number, and sunk or damaged numbers of enemy warships or auxiliaries.

This action is the climax to a biack week for Italian arms in general. In addition Io (he Taranto action and the action in the Strait of Otranto, the Italian alpine division was destroyed by the Greeks in the I’indns Mountains, and in the Sudan Italian forces were defeated at Gallabat. Moreover, the Italians lost 13 planes in an attack on British shipping in the Thames Estuary.

Reports of the Taranto attack .show that the Fleet Air Arm planes dived to the attack in the face of a stroip; defence and dropped their bombs with deadly accuracy. They completed the action with the loss of two machines. The Chief of the Air Staff. Sir Charles Portal, tonight sent the following message to Mr. Alexander: "Heartiest congratulations on successful raid al. Taranto by Fleet. Air Arm. Magnificent show.”