NAVY’S PART

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1940, Page 6

NAVY’S PART

IN THE NORTH AFRICAN. & GREEK CAMPAIGNS VITAL AID TO LAND FORCES NO ATTACK ATTEMPTED ON WARSHIPS. DURING BOMBARDMENT OF ITALIAN BASES. I (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.17 a.m.) RUGBY, December 13. Commenting on the Navy’s cooperation with the Army and R.A.F. in the operations in North Africa, authoritative naval circles in London state that there is no evidence that the heavy and light forecs taking part in the heavy bombardment of Italian positions and lines of communication have been subjected to any enemy attack, either from the air or the sea i So far no casualties either to ships I or ships’ companies have been reported. The vital service rendered by British sea power to the Greek Army during the early days of the Italian aggression was also discussed today in authoritative London circles, where it is pointed out that when the Italians launched their attempted and unprovoked invasion from Albania, the time for mobilisation was of vital value to the Greek Army. In order to complete this quickly, open sea routes were necessary to the Greek Government, and in assuring this the British Navy played a most important part. Because freedom of the seas in the Mediterranean had been kept by the British, the Greeks were able freely to use sea routes, using only the protection of their' own light forces. Subsequent events have done nothing to impair the supremacy of British power in that sea and Greek routes in the Mediterranean are free from enemy molestation.