HOME FLEET OUT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 10, 7 October 1943, Page 5

HOME FLEET OUT

Enemy Ships Hit Off Northern Norway AMERICAN CARRIER INi SQUADRON (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.)! LONDON, October 5. Early yesterday morning the Home! Fleet, together with some United States ehips, carrie'd out an operation againstenemy shipping in the waters off Bodo, a small port 150 miles south-east of Narvik, in northern Norway. The squadron included an American air-craft-carrier and. was commanded by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser. So far only preliminary reports have been received. These say -that aircraft from the carrier bombed., an'd hit several large enemy merchant ships, including an 8000-ton tanker. An Admiralty communique says that three of the-'aircraft from the carrier were shot down by anti-aircraft fire, and it is possible that some of their crews have been captured by the enemy. Later two enemy aircraft tried to shadow the fleet, -but fighters from the carrier shot them down. No other enemy opposition was encountered.

There is no further official news at present, but two days ago there were reports from Stockholm that the Germans have been withdrawing troops from Norway in large numbers during recent weeks.

An interesting feature of the announcement is the reference to an American aircraft-carrier. It is believed this is the first time a United States carrier has been reported operating in these waters. Ships of the Royal 'Navy have also been in action off the north-west coast of France. Light forces attacked a force of enemy destroyers early on Sunday morning n’ear les Sept Isles (a group of small islands close to the north coast of Brittany). The enemy made off, and the action developed into a chase. Several of the enemy destroyers were hit and -two of them were set on fire. All our ships returned, and there were very few casualties.