BEATEN OFF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1942, Page 4

BEATEN OFF

ATTACKS ON BRITISH CONVOYS IN MEDITERRANEAN SHIPS to AND FROM MALTA. CORRESPONDENT DESCRIBES ACTIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) LONDON, February 19. The latest failure of the Axis to destroy our convoys in the Mediterranean is told by the “Exchange Telegraph’s” correspondent, who was aboard the flagship of the British force. While British naval planes were dealing with; fresh blows against Italy's fleet our] Mediterranean Fleet was beating off a bomb and torpedo attack which was among the most severe since the battle of the Mediterranean began. (This action referred to the Admiralty communique of February 18.) “British warships hour after hour put up a terrific barrage which so disconcerted the Axis airmen that no hits were scored against the warships. Our destroyers were escorting a number of merchantmen, which were handed over at a pre-arranged spot to an escort from Malta and we brought back other merchantmen, all of which reached their distillation untouched. Our total losses of two merchantmen lost and one slightly damaged occurred while we were outside the range of British fighter protection. After six hours sailing, enemy planes appeared and bombed us. The gun crews fired thousands of shells. When one merchantman was hit the convoy sped on, leaving some units to rescue two hundred survivors and sink the damaged ship. Meanwhile, bombs were falling all around and the sky was plastered ivith bursting shells. The next day, when we were running between Alexandria and Tobruk. Italian torpedo bombers launched a series of attacks but we reached port the following day without attack.”