UNTRUE STORY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1942, Page 3

UNTRUE STORY

TOLD BY THE VICHY AUTHORITIES ABOUT CLASH OFF COAST OF ALGERIA. ADMIRALTY & AIR MINISTER GIVE FACTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, May 29. A full account of the British clash with Vichy aircraft off Algeria on May 18 is given by the Admiralty and Air Ministry. A Catalina aircraft, carrying out a reconnaissance ahead of our naval forces, turned to investigate small vessels, apparently in distress, tbn miles north of the Algerian coast. Two Vichy De Woitine fighters appeared, whereupon the Catalina at once turned back northward. The Vichy fighters nevertheless attacked the fly-ing-boat and seriously wounded three of the crew. As a result, the Catalina came down on the sea twenty miles north of the coast. A destroyer was despatched to salve the aircraft, and in view of the possibility of further Vichy air attacks, was provided with fighter cover by two naval aircraft. A Vichy fighter attempted to attack one of the Naval aircraft but was shot down. Three Vichy fighters circled the destroyer and attacked a Sunderland flying-boat which arrived. They, however, were driven off by gunfire from the destroyer. After the crew of the Catalina had been rescued by the destroyer, four more Vichy fighters appeared. These were engaged by gunfire from the destroyer, but shot down one of our naval aircraft. All the incidents took place between ten and twenty miles from the Algerian coast and the statement of the Vichy authorities that they occurred because our forces had entered (territorial waters is untrue.