THE ROYAL NAVY

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21363, 6 March 1941, Page 8

THE ROYAL NAVY

NEW ZEALAND HELP I , j j SERVICE IN BATTLE PROTECTION OF CONVOYS (United Pren« Aan.—El*o. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 6, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, March 5 The First Lord of the j Admiralty, Mr A. V. Alexander, in concluding his speech, which lasted an hour, said:— “New Zealand cruisers and Australian cruisers and destroyers participated with great distinction and success in operations in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, in addition to the protection of important trade and military convoys. “I think the names of the Achilles, the Leander, the Sydney, the Australia, the Perth and the Hobart will throughout history be bound up with the i general story of the achievement j of the Royal Navy.” The Parliamentary Secretary for | the Admiralty said thousands of ships ;• are now carrying close-range anti- ; aircraft armament. The Admiralty ! is equipping vessels as fast as posi sibli*. I Defending the use of oil instead of coal, he said the battle of the River Plate would not have been a British victory if the cruisers had not been using oil fuel. PANAMA CANAL AIR BASES GRANTED PROTECTION BY AMERICA ! (United nre>N Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 6, 3.15 p.m.) PANAMA CITY, March 5 ! The Republic of Panama has j agreed to grant sites for air and anti-aircraft bases to the United I States for the defence of the canal. ' The agreement provides for J Panama to be adequately compen- ; sated and the land returned when the emergency is considered over. AID TO BRITAIN I I SENATE ADOPTS AMENDMENT RIGHT OF CONGRESS ; TERMINATION OF POWERS ! iL'nitrrl rte-~ v-.-ii. —tier. Tel. Ojpyi-fjrbt) | (Received March 6, 3.15 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 5 I The Senate adopted an amend- ! ment to the Lease and Lend Aid Bill | clarifying the right of Congress to ; terminate the Bill’s powers at any j time by a simple majority vote. THRILLS IN THE AIR I ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED SWEEPS ON FRENCH COAST j (Unilnl I're.'S A.su.—hire. Tel. Copvrig-lit) (Received March 6, 3.15 p.m.) | LONDON, March 5 i Spitfires and Hurricanes of the i Fighter Command carried out ofifen- ■ sive sweeps over the French coast j on Wednesday afternoon, states the ; Air Ministry News Service. In the course of the operations | fighter squadrons escorted a formaj tion of bombers in a successful atI tack on the docks at Boulogne, j One Messerschmitt 109 was desj troyed by our fighters. Six were I probably destroyed and another I damaged. in one of these sweeps Spitfires ; and Messerschmitts were engaged at : i 30,000 feet over the Channel. One ! Spitfire squadron claimed live I enern} 7 aircraft as probably desj troyed and one damaged, in addition to the one destroyed. : The destroyed Messerschmitt 109 ( was not even fired at. A British * pilot said: “I saw the 109 on my tail and at once made an evasive action : in order to get into position to let ’ Jerry have it, but Jerry rushed down ; at high speed and crashed into the ; sea.” i A sergeant pilot on the same j squadron got a probable victory, but j like several of his fellow pilots was I not able to see what actually hap--1 pened to the enemy, as there was I considerable cloud below the battle. NAZI HARSHNESS YPRES HEAVILY FINED j GERMAN SOLDIER BEATEN (Unitod press aspii.—Klui*. Tcl. Copyright) (Received March 6. 3.15 p.m.) LONDON. March 5 The Free Belgian News Agency states that the Germans have heavily fined Ypres. They have suspended traffic after i 7.30 p.m. as a punishment for an : incident in which three inhabitants beat up a German soldier. The Ger- | mans found a hat initialled “A.D." at ' the scene, whereupon all inhabitants ! with those initials were summoned : before the German commandant. , Three men were arrested. JERVIS BAY ACTION I NEWFOUNDLANDERS ASSIST (United Press Assn.—Klee. Tel. copyright) LONDON. March 4 Eight Newfoundlanders, of whom . only three survived, were involved ■! in the Jervis Bay action. This was ! 1 announced by the Newfoundland 1 Commissioner of Defence speaking on ; I the country's great contribution to • | the Empire's war effort. : He also stated that 3000 Newfound- : | land seamen were in the Royal Navy j Division.