ITALIAN FLEET RUNS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21211, 6 September 1940, Page 6

ITALIAN FLEET RUNS

CHASED BY BRITISH WARSHIPS ACTIVITY IN MEDITERRANEAN SEA BOMBING OF IMPORTANT MILITARY OBJECTIVES (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 6, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 5 The Italian Fleet was chased by British naval forces in the Mediterranean during this week, but again the enemy ran to the shelter of its bases before contact could be made. Lnits of the Roval Navy shelled important Italian military objectives, while the Fleet Air Arm delivered some very heavy blows at Italy. The British naval forces in the Mediterranean have been considerably strengthened by powerful units during the past few days.

Italians Turn and Flee An Admiralty communiaue states: Extensive operations have been carried out by our naval forces in both the Western and Eastern Mediterranean over a period of six days. These operations have been entirely successful except that no contact was made between our main forces and the enemy warships. During these operations the opportunity was taken of sending strong reinforcements to our naval forces in the Eastern Mediterranean. On August 31, in the Eastern Mediterranean, one enemv aircraft which was attempting to shadow our forces was shot down by the Fleet Air Arm fighters. On that dav it was learned from the reports of submarines that some enemv units were at sea in the Central Mediterranean. His Majesty’s submarine Parthian attacked an enemv force of cruisers and destroyers and obtained two hits with torpedoes. Meanwhile air reconnaissance reported that the enemy main fleet, consisting of battleships, cruisers and destroyers, was at sea. It was then about 150 miles from our forces. Efforts were made to make contact, but reconnaissance aircraft reported that the enemv fleet had turned back immediately on receipt of reports indicating that British forces were in th*» vicinity and was heading for its base, Toranto, at high speed. Another British force was at this time operating to the westward of Sardinia and Sicily. Fleet Air Arm aircraft attached to this force shot down an enemy low-wing aircraft. Italian Aerodrome Damaged On the morning of September 1 Swordfish aircraft of the Air Arm from this western force attacked the aerodrome at Elma, in Sardinia. They were not able to observe the damage caused, but an Italian broadcast admitted that one wing of the military headquarters was destroyed, as well as two aircraft on the ground.

While returning from this attack one of our aircraft sighted an Italian U-boat on the surface. Having no bombs remaining the aircraft machine-gunned the conning tower of the submarine as it dived. From this operation all our aircraft returned safely. On the morning of September 2 Swordfish aircraft from the same force attacked an aerodrome at Cagliari, in Sicily. Bad visibility hampered the attack, but it has been reported that enemy searchlights at Scaffa were successfully bombed and put out of action. All our aircraft returned safely from this operation. Italian Story Untrue On September 2 our force in the Eastern Mediterranean was attacked by enemy aircraft when south-west of Malta. Presumably it is to this attack that an Italian communique stated: “A bold onslaught of Italian divebombing planes managed to achieve notable results. One enemy aircra/t----carrier was seriously hit astern. In addition one enemy battleship, one cruiser and one destroyer received it squarely amidships and were damaged.” In fact, this action resulted in no damage or casualties to any of our ships, while five enemy aircraft were shot down by fighters of the Fleet Air Arm and the gunfire of the fleet. Four others were chased almost to Sicily and probably were damaged. Nor were these aircraft Italian. They were German dive-bombers ot the Junkers 87 type. The whole main part of the Mediterranean has been swept without enemy warships being encountered. The eastern force proceeded to the eastward in the hope of finding enemy forces in the vicinity of his Dodecanese bases. In these operations off the Dodecanese Islands eight enemy aircraft were shot down and six damaged, apart from those destroyed on the Calato aerodrome. Four of our aircraft are missing. An Italian communique states that the crews of three of these are prisoners of war. On September 4 enemy aerodromes at Maritza and Calato were simultaneously attacked by Swordfish of tne Air Arm. At Calato a number of aircraft on the aerodrome were destroyed. Loud explosions were heard probably from ammunition dumps and fires were observed in the barracks and other buildings. At Maritza direct hits were scored on the two main hangars. Petrol dumps, workshops and barracks were set on fire. Bombing by H.M.A.S. Sydney m Following attacks by the Air Arm on enemy aerodromes in Rhodes some of our naval forces, including H.M.A.S. Sydney and H.M.S. Orion, bombarded military objectives in the Italian Dodecanese Islands. The aerodrome and surrounding buildings at Makri Yalo and Pegadia. in the Scarpanto Island, were bumJbardec!.

The aerodrome at Makrai Yalo I .vas plastered with six-inch shells, ! and none of the surrounding buildings was left intact. Pegadia is the seat of the Italian Government on Scarpanto Island. Of five enemy motor torpedo boats which emerged from the harbour H.M.S. Ilex intercepted three, which tried to attack it. Two of these were | sunk and the third damaged. The remaining two boats returned without attacking. Our forces in the Dodecanese area were later unsuccessfully attacked by enemy aircraft. One Caproni 133 and one 5.79 were shot down into the sea, and at least three other enemy aircraft were damaged. Claims by Italy An Italian communique states: — Italian planes violently bombed three British cruisers and two destroyers, which were cruising off the Algerian coast. Large-calibre bombs hit two cruisers, and a sheet of flame was observed on the deck of one. Reconnoitring planes spotted a large enemy convoy, escorted by warships, in the Aegean Sea on September 3. With the object of defending convoys the British attempted to attack by sea and air Italian bases in the Aegean, starting at dawn on September 4. Two air formations attacked airfields at Dadurra and Mariza, where two Italian planes were hit on the ground. A naval formation shelled Scarpanto, causing slight damage to buildings and inflicting a few civilian casualties. Prompt intervention by Italian fighters, together with the antiaircraft defences, which shot down seven enemy planes, repelled the attack. The crews of three planes, numbering eight men, were taken prisoner. The Italians counter-attacked from 7 a.m. until 5.30 p.m. Five mass attacks were carried out against an enemy convoy. British fighters and anti-aircraft fire intervened, but four enemy vessels were seriously damaged and five enemy fighters were shot down. Two Italian planes failed to return. There were a few casualties aboard others. Italian motor-boats simultaneously attacked enemy naval forces and successfully directed fire against a British cruiser and two destroyers. One Italian motor-boat failed to return. Intense activity by the Air Forces on both sides is reported from North Africa. The enemy raids caused only slight damage. One person was killed and 11 wounded. Four enemy planes were shot down. All the Italian planes returned. A British machine was shot down and another probably shot down during an enemy raid on an airfield at Giavello, in East Africa. An Italian bomber formation seriously damaged an enemy vessel in the Rea Sea.