CONVOY SURPRISED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1941, Page 5

CONVOY SURPRISED

SHIPS THROWN INTO CONFUSION ONE LARGE VESSEL BLOWN TO PIECES. SUCCESSFUL AIR ATTACKS IN MEDITERRANEAN. ’ LONDON, September 4. In the Mediterranean the Fleet Air Arm attacked an enemy convoy. A large merchant ship was hit by a torpedo and blew to pieces. Three other vessels were damaged. The ships were escorted by seven destroyers and were sighted off Sardinia. The attack took the convoy by surprise and caused great disorder. An enemy destroyer fired on its own ship and some of the merchant ships narrowly avoided colliding with each other. Another torpedo hit a second vessel and two smaller ships were damaged. Aerodromes in Sicily were also attacked by the Fleet Air Arm and a three-engine plane was shot down. In Cyrenaica heavy bombers attacked barracks at Derna and started fires on the landing ground at Gayala. South African planes shot down five enemy fighters without loss to themselves. ENEMY PLANES OVER MALTA. A large formation of enemy fighters appeared over Malta and were engaged by R.A.F. fighters. Six were definitely shot down and at least an additional three were so badly damaged that they were unlikely to reach their base. In all these operations no British planes were lost. INCREASING TOLL TAKEN BY BRITISH SUBMARINES. AXIS TRAFFIC TO LIBYA. LONDON. September 3. That British submarines are taking an increasing toll of Axis supplies to Libya is evidence of the growing volume of Axis traffic, says “The Times” naval correspondent. It appears, that, despite the heavy losses, a large proportion of this traffic must be getting through. The almost daily attacks on the harbours of Tripoli and Benghazi are presumably necessary, because they are constantly being used as supply bases for the Axis forces in Libya.