BRITISH CRUISER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1940, Page 5

BRITISH CRUISER

TORPEDOED BY ITALIANS IN MEDITERRANEAN BUT GETS SAFELY BACK TO PORT. CASUALTIES NOT HEAVY. An Admiralty communique transmitted by the 8.8. C. states that the cruiser Liverpool was damaged by an enemy torpedo while returning to its base from the operations in the Mediterranean mentioned in the previous day’s communique. The Liverpool is now safely in port and the casualties were not heavy. ENEMY CLAIMS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 15. A German communique claims that a U-boat sank the merchantman Devonshire and that torpedo-boat units in the English Channel some days ago attacked and destroyed two submarine chasers and two small merchantmen and took 40 Britons prisoner. An Italian communique states that a torpedo-carrying plane in the Mediterranean torpedoed a British cruiser and scored a direct hit on a transport. The British again bombed Benghazi, hitting houses near the port and the centre of the city. No damage was done to military objectives. Other British raids were made on Bardia and Solium. One person was wounded but there was no notable damage. The British also bombed Decamere, causing slight damage. GERMAN CONVOY DESTROYED BY NAVY. SUPPLY AND ESCORT SHIPS. An Admiralty communique states, according to the 8.8. C., that a German convoy of three supply ships with two escort ships has been destroyed. One of the supply ships was of 7000 tons and the others were smaller. One ship exploded before it sank. Another German vessel of 7000 tons was successfully attacked, and hit with three torpedoes.