COASTAL FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 November 1942, Page 4

COASTAL FIGHTING

HITS ON ALLIED SHIPS. REPORTED BY THE ENEMY. (Received This Day, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, November 9. In the latest reports of the fighting the Vichy radio, admits that the_ Americans have occupied the Lasenia airport, but says the Vichy forces retain Mers el Kebir. Oran’s, coastal batteries beat off two American warships, which tried to enter the harbour. German dive-bombers attacked transports in the Algiers roadstead. Numerous dogfights occurred between British, American and Italian and German planes over the coast, about twelve miles from Algiers. Reports from Berlin quoted by the Stockholm newspaper “Tidningen,’ say a state of emergency has been declared in Marseilles and that military leave has been cancelled. Customs personnel and also mobile guards have been armed. The Sultan of Morocco broadcast from Tangiers by radio, asking the Moslem population for loyalty to Vichy and to help in the defence of their territory. Both German and Italian communiques claim successes against British and American naval units off Africa. The German communique claims that the Italian and German air forces hit six warships and four merchantmen during continuous attacks since November 6. The Italians claim that an Axis submarine and planes, attacking a big British-American convoy, operating off the Algerian coast, sank a cruiser, hit several warships, and torpedoed several steamers. The besieged Maltese are probably the worldis most delighted Jeople. They believe that the North African landings bring the end of their long ordeal apnreciably closer. A Chungking message says the Chinese press jubilantly hailed the North African invasion . The “Takung Pao” describes it as the turning point of the war. The Berlin radio quoted reports from Madrid that the Spanish troops m Spanish Morocco have received orders to be prepared at any hour for an attack.