NAVAL TRIUMPH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 May 1941, Page 7

NAVAL TRIUMPH

DEFEAT OF AIR ATTACKS IN MEDITERRANEAN SEVEN ENEMY BOMBERS SHOT DOWN. ARK ROYAL & OTHER SHIPS UNSCATHED. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON. May 14. The unsuccessful action against British warships in the Mediterranean last week which cost the enemy seven bombers is described in a dispatch received in London today from a special correspondent on board the aircraft-carrier Ark Royal, the ship which has been “sunk” so often by Axis propaganda. The correspondent says that the eight-hour battle between the British ships and fighters and the German bombers ended in a great triumph for the British. Time after time. Italian and German bombers, escorted by fighters, failed to score even a near miss on any ship. Altogether. there were four attacks during the day—two by torpedo-bombers and the others by high-level bombers. They took place while the warships were between Sicily and the Italian air base at Sardinia. Toward dusk a last desperate attack was made by torpedo-bombers, and at the same time enemy aircraft were seen in the clouds, the idea obviously being a simultaneous attack-. British fighters dived into the enemy, and the German dive-bombers dropped their bombs and fled. Other raiders were attacked by the guns of the British ships. In one attack only skilful and quick turning saved the Ark Royal. Two pairs of torpedoes were seen to pass, and on another occasion torpedoes were seen to be approaching, but they slid harmlessly past to starboard, and the Ark Royal is still without a scratch. The Italians said today that the situation in the Mediterranean was rapidly changing in favour of the Axis.