THREE BATTLESHIPS DEFINITELY OUT OF ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1940, Page 5

THREE BATTLESHIPS DEFINITELY OUT OF ACTION

Cruisers and Fleet Auxiliaries Sunk FACTS ESTABLISHED BY BRITISH SURVEY OTHER ENEMY NAVAL AND AIR FORCE LOSSES British naval planes have been over the Italian naval base at Taranto again, and it is confirmed that three, and not two Italian battleships were put out of action, a 8.8. C. broadcast reports. The third battleship (one of the 23,600-ton Cavour class) was sighted with only her forward part appearing- out of the water. The other 23,600 tons battleship has been beached. The 35,000-ton battleship of the Littorio class, which was left on Monday night with her forecastle under water, has been raised and is now attended on either side by fleet auxiliary vessels and surrounded by nets. As the British naval bombers left her, she had a heavy list to starboard. She is now lying’ over to port. The two cruisers and two fleet auxiliaries which were bombed have apparently been abandoned and sunk. From the planes, the shapes of the four vessels were seen under water. British naval planes have destroyed seven Italian machines and destroyed two others in the Central Mediterranean. This week part of the British naval force in the Mediterranean has been cruising' close to the enemy bases in the hope that the , Italian fleet would come out. The British ships waited until it was quite clear that the Italians preferred to stay in harbour. The Italian attitude, it is added, is not without reason. Including the latest attack on Taranto, the Italians have had three battleships put out of action, one of their cruisers has been sunk for certain and two others have been badly damaged, Ten Italian destroyers and 24 submarines have been destroyed and three fleet auxiliaries damaged. Britain has lost one light cruiser and one destroyer. The Royal Air Force has every bit as good a record as the Navy in operations against Italy. In fighting over Italy, the Mediterranean and East Africa, the R.A.F. has lost 41 planes, but has brought down nearly nine times as many Italian '■ machines. In these theatres the Italians have lost 361 planes.