ONE PLANE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 April 1941, Page 5

ONE PLANE

TOTAL BRITISH LOSS IN BATTLE IN lONIAN SEA. OTHER MISSING MACHINE REPORTED SAFE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, April 2. One of the two British naval aircraft reported missing after the great nava! engagament is now reported safe. Thus the only British loss throughout the whole action is one plane. GREEK NAVY THANKED BY ADMIRAL CUNNINGHAM. ATHENS, April 1. A communique states that Admiral Cunningham sent a message thanking the Greek navy for the precision and speed of its movements in the Mediterranean battle. FORCES ENGAGED PARTICULARS OF RELATIVE STRENGTH. LONDON, April 1. The moral effect of Britain’s naval victory off Crete is enhanced by an authoritative statement of the relative strength of the forces engaged. The statement gives the following figures: British: Three battleships, one air-craft-carrier, four cruisers and des-troyer-s. Greek: Some destroyers. Italian: Three battleships, eleven cruisers, fourteen destroyers. THE R.A.F’S. PART , EFFICIENT RECONNAISSANCE WORK. FOLLOWED BY SMASHING ATTACK. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 1. Details of the part played by the Royal Air Force, who have received a message of congratulation from the Air Officer Cornmanding-in-Chief in the Middle East, in the great naval action in the lonian Sea are now revealed by an announcement from Royal Air Force headquarters in Cairo. Setting off on normal raids op military objectives in Tripolitania, R.A.F. squadrons received news that a large part of the Italian navy was actually at sea and it is confirmed that the action of these squadrons resulted in one enemy cruiser being hit twice for certain, another cruiser probably hit and one direct hit on a destroyer. The pilot who scored two direct hits with heavy-calibre bombs on a heavy ship said: “Though they changed formation and zig-zagged quite a lot, we spent some time taking aim and made a low-level attack. I saw two. of my biggest bombs hit the largest ship amidships. Clouds of black and yellow smoke issued from her for a long time and there she stopped.” All the R.A.F. aircraft taking part returned undamaged. FANCY FREE ITALIAN STORY OF BATTLE. ATTEMPT TO SUPPRESS FACTS. LONDON, April 1. A communique issued in Rome states: “For some time a growing intensification of enemy traffic between Egypt and Greece has been remarked. Our destroyers and planes have often taken action against this traffic, inflicting losses. Nevertheless, it was necessary to attempt a bigger offensive for the purpose of forcing the enemy to adopt more onerous methods of protection. “An offensive began on the night of March 25 with a brilliant action, shock units penetrating Suda Bay. On the next night, after an air reconnaissance, eight Italian cruisers, escorted by destroyers, left their bases supported by a battleship. This force on the morning of March 28, in the waters south of Candia exchanged shots with an enemy cruiser, which immediately evaded contact. “While our warships were returning from sweeping the sea our planes attacked the enemy with torpedoes, hitting two cruisers, an aircraft-carrier, and several merchantmen. Enemy planes attacked our fleet on the afternoon of March 28, hitting a cruiser with a torpedo and slowing it down. “A division, including a cruiser, encountered in the night enemy forces comprising according to Ihe British, several battleships. Our units opened fire, the attack being pressed by destroyers right up to the British units. Numerous torpedoes were launched. Our air force next day hit a cruiser with a torpedo and an aircraft-carrier with bombs.”