CONVOY BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1942, Page 3

CONVOY BATTLE

BRITISH & ENEMY LOSSES AIRCRAFT & WARSHIPS. TWO U-BOATS & TWO E-BOATS SUNK. LONDON, August 19. The enemy losses in the Malta convoy were 66 aircraft, two U-boats and two E-boats. The British lost 8 aircraft ,with four of the pilots safe, and four warships—the - aircraft-carrier Eagle, the cruiser Manchester, the anti-aircraft ship Cairo, which was torpedoed by a U-boat, and the destroyer Foresight, which was hit by an aerial torpedo. In. all four ships casualties were slight. FURTHER DETAILS RELEASED BY ADMIRALTY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, August 19. Details now released by the Admiralty of the operations in the Mediterranean last week, when a convoy of supplies was taken to Malta make-a stirring story of Britain's determination to keep the gallant island garrison supplied. The naval operations were under the command of Admiral E. N. Syfret, in H.M.S. Nelson. The aircraft-carriers were under Admiral Lyster and the light forces and close escort under Admiral Burroughs. The Eagle was torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat on the afternoon of August 11 and attacks by U-boats that day were numerous. Counter-attacks by screening destroyers prevented other hits and H.M.S. Wolverine destroyed one attacker. Shortly before dark on August 11 torpedo-carrying and dive-bombing Axis aircraft attacked without success and with some losses.

On August 12, the attack was resumed, with the addition of bombers and U-boats, and while losses were inflicted on the convoy, it was known by the evening that 39 enemy aircraft had been destroyed, five probably destroyed, and another U-boat destroyed by the Pathfiinder and Ithurial. The task of escorting the convoy through the Sicilian Channel, in the final stages, had to be left to Admiral Burroughs’s command and to longrange fighters from Malta, and the hazard was further increased by attacks from E-boats, two of which are known to have been sunk, and by extensive mining by the enemy. A channel had to be swept before the passage of the convoy, and during the night of August 12, the cruiser Manchester was seriously damaged by a torpedo or mine. She subsequently sank, but a majority of her complement are known to be safe.

Loss and damage were also suffered by the convoy. On the morning of August 13. enemy air attacks were resumed, but Malta fighters were able to give more protection. It is not yet possible to compile a final total of the damage inflicted on

the enemy, but it is known that 66 aircraft were destroyed and 24 probably destroyed. We lost eight planes, but four of the pilots are safe. The antiaircraft cruiser Cairo and the destroyer Foresight were sunk by torpedoes, but casualties were light. It is not the intention of the Admiralty to divulge the number of ships in the convoy, or the number which arrived, as the extent of reinforcements to the island obviously would be valuable information to the enemy.