THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 31) 1941,
ANGLO-FRENCH
Page -3
CLASH
OFF ALGIERS COAST ONE SHIP Shore Batteries MORE
Fire On Warships: ALLEGED
Convoy Incident
CARRIED RUBBER
It was revealed in Lon- don last night that one of the four French ships challenged by British naval units in the Medi- terranean was carrying a cargo of rubber, and Ger- many is very short of rubber.
It stated in authoritative eit Ce tht at least one at these chip raried from Bangkok with rubber which would inevitably und
WIN ats at the Rhe
But, it a stated, has alway fully manfaineet hes ruthis mate international laws to such ship suspected of early.ng contraband; destined for Germany, and it har long been noten mus that French Inerchantnien have been carrying i to French metropolitan prats var= | Jou Hater salt. a high proportion
of which are immediately appro prated by Germany.
Strange Reflection
It considered
in London
از
strange reflection on French po- hey that she should attack British forces at the very time when the British Navy was engaged in des
ONLY THREE DAYLIGHT AIR RAIDERS
Only three German bombers ventured over the British coast in daylight yesterday
One of them crash ed neor Middles brough, in Yorkshire, shot down by a Spit. fire patrol. All the
were killed
crew
Reuter.
A "DEPTH" CHARGE
troying warships of France's) WITH A enemy, Italy.
SINGLE BOMB A: COASTAL COMMAND BLEN.. Moreover, the French action, as HEIM YESTERDAY SANK A sen in London, appears particu
SUBMARINE larly untimely when Britain has VESSEL OFF THE ESTUARY OF indicated her willingness to abro- THE LOIRE.
GERMAN ANTI
DETAILS
AN INCIDENT IN WHICH FRENCH SMORE BATTERIES IN ALGIERS OPENED FIRE ON SOME BRITISH LIGHT NAVAL FORCES IS RE- LATED IN AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE ISSU- Anglo-French convoy in- A French version of the ED BY THE ADMIRALTY IN LONDON YES- TERDAY.
cident, given in a French Admiralty communique, The communique states: "Reports had also claims that the cargo been received that a convoy of four merchant of the merchantships con- ships, escorted by French destroyers, was due commodities and products cerned consisted solely of to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar and destined that the convoy carried important war mater-native population of Al- ial for Germany.
geria.
to supply the
The cargo, it claims, was rice,
"All the
"Accordingly orders were given for the in-' terception of the convoy which, however, pass the communique adds:
sugar, barley and so forth, and ed through the Straits within Spanish territor-evidences, and the route follow ial waters.
Our furves caught up with the French ships, after they bad left Spanish territorial waters and called upon them to stop s0 that the normal procedure of visit| and search might be carried out.
in
"French shore batteries the vicinity then opened fire on Our ships, notwithstanding that) they were merely engaged in! exercise of our legitimate bel ligerent rights.
His Majesty's ships were com- pelled to reply in their own de-
gate her international right to the The bomb struck the ship for-[leney, and hits were observed extent of allowing the passage of ward of the bridge, says the Air on shore batteries. certain foodstuffs in order to re- Ministry news service. There was
Neve sufferings in unoccupied a terrific explosion and the ship Interests Of Humanity France caused by German rapa-raught fire and was seen to uty. Reuter.
sinking rapid'y.-Reuter.
TRIPOLI HEAVILY BOMBED BY
R.A.F.
THE IMPORTANT HARBOUR of Tripoli, in Libya, was raided by British bombers dur- ing the night of Friday/Saturday, and bombs fell among shipping and other objectives.
The story is told in the R.A.F. Middle East communique issued in Cairo yesterday, which states: Italian East Africa: there was fur- ther intense activity by the Royal Air Force in the Asmara area on Saturday.
"In view of the action taken by the French batteries our war- ships would have been fully justi- fed in firing on the French mer- chantships and their escort, but
in the interests of humanity did not do so and the mechantships succeeded in entering the nearby French port of Nemours.
were
"During the return of our forces to Gibraltar they twice attacked by French bom- ber formations without suffer. ing damage or casualties."
The French version of the in- cident says that "a considerable British naval force attacked at 9 o'clock on Sunday morning in French territorial waters, be- tween Nemours and Oran, a con- voy of four French merchant- ships bound from Casablanca to Oran under the escort of a single French destroyer.
"The convoy took shelter in build-protection of its
the port of Nemours under the escort, nuva] shore batteries and aircraft, which
sors and drove them off.
In the town itself the main station ings, trucks, sidings and a motor transport replied to the fire of the aggres- park were repeatedly hit and severely damag- ed. Motor transport, a factory and a stores yard were set on fire.
be
Motor transport and troops on lacks on motor transport and roads in the same aren were buildings in the Nagi area. heavily bombed and machine- Near Diredawn motor transport gunned. Many vehicles were vehícles were overturned and destroyed and others damaged. many others observed to
Aircraft of a Free French damaged after machine-gun at- squadron took part in a raid on tack from the air. an enemy encampment between Libya: during Gondar and Asmara, where mili- March tary buildings were demolished fralded the harbour of Tripoll. by direct hits.
the night of 28/29 R.A.F. bombers
Ships Strafed
Railway Attacked LARGE BOMBS WERE
OB- SERVED ΤΟ FALL North of Dessye and
AMONG in the SHIPPING AND OTHERS WERE Awash area considerable dam SEEN BURSTING BETWEEN age was done to a large con- THE WIRELESS STATION AND centration of motor vehicles THE MAIN ELECTRIC POWER when they were bombed and STATION. machine-gunned.
Albania:
Three
successful
were the
"The convoy is safe and un- harmed."--Reuter.
SHROFF ACCUSED
A 28-year-old shroff, Ku Shi- yiu, employed by the "Kwok Wah Yat Po" (Chinese newspaper), was charged before Mr. G. T. Lowry this morning, with em- bezzlement of $810.21 between January 1 and March 28.
asked for 24 hours' remand.
Detective Sergeant W. Summers The application was granted.
MATSUOKA ON HIS~
WAY TO ROME Mr. Matsuoka, the Japanese From these operations all our Foreign Minister, has left Berlin aircraft returned safely.-Reuter, for Rome, says a Reuter despatch.
The rallway station at Matar offensive reconnaissances hart was also dive-bombed and made on Saturday against the railway tine damaged. Albanian villages of Berat, Dukai Aircraft of the South African and Dukat. Air Force carried out successful. bombing and machine-gun at-
ITALIAN LOSSES
IN ALBANIA.
+
by the ships along the Algerian coast, goes to show it was a trans- action between two French pos- sessions.
The attack on the convoy by British warships cannot, therefore, be explained by the necessities of the blockade, the object of which to prevent cargo ships taking out-food supplies to belligerent cou
tries."
An Italian stock-taking of the war in Albania would show losses as in men and material far weighing any advantages,
Italian prisoners say the recent offensive cost 50,000 casualties
The communique contends that Huge stores of materials were the British "attack" was entirely captured which the Greeks are iniustifsble and "incomprehen- now using.
sible."-Reuter,
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