"A FAMOUS
THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 2, 1941.
VICTORY
Congratulations To Mediterranean C. In C..
Italian Navy's
Puerile Exhibition
CONGRATULATIONS from the British Government have been sent to Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, on the recent brilliant victory over the Italian fleet.
This was disclosed in the House of Lords yesterday by the Leader of the House, Lord Moyne, who said: "To-day our minds are fill- ed with the gallantry of the forces engaged off Matapan and with the brilliant skill of their leadership.
་་་
"This war has taught as na new lessons to edit to flag courage and brillianey with which
hark" -maintained our sex power,
qualities are traditional.
AIRMEN'S ROLE IN NAVAL VICTORY
"The Battle of Cyrenaica was а model combination between land, air and sea forces, and the Battle of Matapan has offered a perfect example of cooperation between the Fleet Air Arm and the R.A.F. which is based on the island of Crete.
"At last the training and ef- ficiency of the Fleet has had its reward. Throughout the war it has faced the methods of submar- Ger- ines, a warfare which the mans applied to what was pre- viously looked upon as a system of indiscriminate murder,
Bitter Experience
"The Nazis have profited by the bitter experience of the Grat Spee, which with its heavier armament was driven to destruction by the. accurate gunners of Archilles, 'Ajax and Exeter, and have, since. that fit experience, taken care 1.azi and Italian surface
"BLITZED" HOUSES ARE BEING REPAIRED-Permanent repairs are being executed, to: bombed houses by local councils who have, the Ministry of Health's approval. In the London.bor- ough where this picture was taken, the local council have their employees.hard to work on.thes damaged houses.
(Copyright, Fox).
AIR CHIEF MARSHAL
MARSHAL BURMA
RAILWAY
LONGMORE ON PROPOSALS
R.A.F. FEATS
THE IMPORTANT PART played by the R.A.E. ships in the British victories on land and sea in North "We found the Italian shall never meet their match in
size or arms but shall run away Africa and in the Mediterranean was emphasised by ships steaming
like from smaller units to avoid dis- Chief Air Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore, Air Officer billyho for home and
Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, broadcasting- fairly plastered them.”
from Cairo yesterday on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the birth of the R.A:F.
This was a squadron leader's description of one R.A.F. attack on the Ita- lians during Friday's naval battle.
This squadron was en route for
a normal raid on Tripoli
astur.
"The kill of Admiral Cunning completely defeated this method.
ham's combined operations has
"Bombing from the air pre-
vented the Italian unite profit- ing from their additional speed
in flight, and have enabled our ships to finish their work.
No Precedent
when "We have become accustomed It received news of the war atto such disproportionate casualties
tion.
"We..hit one big ship twice amidships," he said, "and she stopped with clouds of black *and yellow smoke shooting up
He referred to the fact that over 1,000 Italian aircraft had been destroyed in the Middle East and paid a great tribute to the magnificent defence of R.A.F. fighters at Malta and the splendid work of R.A.F. aircraft allotted for sea and port, reconnais. sances in cooperation with the Navy,
Immediately, before. last week's R.A.F.
con.
hit
sta and cheerfully altered direc-between victors and anquished as naval victory, he added,
has reminded us of the wars be-sea reconnaissance aircraft locat- tween the Persians and Greeks oned the enemy forces and
the tinued to report their movements, the classic battlegrounds of
Acting on this information Near East,
R.A.F: bombers attacked, and..crippled one, and possibly two, of the cruisers and one of the destroyers out of those finally, disposed of by, Admiral Cunningham.
200 feet,"
News of the Italian panic comes from the leader of another R.A.F.
attack.
In Confusion
"We found the Italians had. fled in great confusion, zigzagging violently and occasionally getting in each other's way," he said.
He added simply "We bombed them and increased the confu- sion."——Reuter.
PERUVIAN WARSHIP
"But not even the Battle of Sal-
amis, where Persian losses were five times as great as those of the Greeks, can provide a precedent for the overwhelming disaster to the Italian fleet without the cost to the victors of a single man ship." (Cheers)--Reuter.
Relative Strength
or
"The normal effect of Britain's naval victory off Crete is en- hanced by an authoritative state-
the forces engaged.
Many of the bomber crewy.who participated in. that operation
few were only. a.
weeks ago helping our army. In their Libyan victory.
Storms: To Weather.
The R.A.F. could look back on of these achievements with satisfac-
ment of the relative strength tion "but it is what lies ahead fol-that matters in war. The ships
have many storms to yet:"
The statement gives the lowing figures:
weather
British-Three battleships, one He concluded by wishing-good
|
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT · HAS AGREED TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO ENABLE THE GOV- ERNMENT OF BURMA TO: BUILD A RAILWAY LINE. FROM RAILHEAD AT..LASHIO
TO THE FRONTIER, WHICHI
WILL LINK UP THE BURMA-
RAILWAY: SYSTEM WITH THAT OF CHINA STATED THEI SECRETARY
OF STATE FOR BURMA YESTERDAY IN REPLY TO A COMMONS QUESTION.
It is understood that this is a long term rather than a short term plan, rendered necessary by the fact that the Burma-Yunan.
road has proved to be inadequate, for most general requirements, of
traffle between the two countries.
Reuter.
BLUE STOCKINGS SURPRISE EVEN THEMSELVES
SHOULD: WAR - TIME CONDITIONS BE ALLOWED TO INTERFERE WITH BRITAIN'S: TRADITIONAL SUNDAY ?
The House of Commons, after a spirited
aircraft-carrier, four cruisers, and luck to the R.A.F. in the Middle debate yesterday, decided that the tradition
destroyers.
Greek-some destroyers,
Italians-three battleships,
East and at home.-Reuter.
11
cruisers and 14 destroyers.-Bri-
tish Wireless.
FRANCO
IN PURSUIT US. ENTRY AMNESTY'
The Peruvian destroyersPROPHECY
Almirante Guise and Al-
mirante Villar were des-
al Sunday must be upheld. The debate arose out of a
| ta open o, frnment order enabling theatres.
Sundays.
Government, however; made it and rather to their own clear that no-political implica- says Reuter's labi tions were involved and every dent. they work. FORTY THOUSAND, POLITI-
neOn a free vote, the GAL PRISONERS, ACCUSED OF member was free to vote.
his abling theatres to REBELLION WILL BE LIBER-cording to the dictates of
days was defeated by own feelings: ATED UNDER A LAW SIGNED
Member after member argued against 198-Reuter. BY GENERAL FRANCO, YES-
- In the Coinmans, thatā theatres THE STOCKHOLM "POSTEN TERDAY, THE SECOND ANNI-
should have the same freedom patched by the naval au DECLARED YESTERDAY THAT VERSARY OF THE END OF THE
as the B.B.C. and ölnemas.¬¿ thorities to Callao to chase THE DAY IS NOT DISTANT CIVIL WAR, SAYS A MADRID
The Home Secretary, Mr. Her bert Morrison, speaking for the two German ships that WHEN UNITED STATES WAR DESPATCH TO THE FRENCH
SHIPS WILL OPERATE WITH OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY. weighed anchor on Mon- THE ROYAL NAVY
The metus to be freed are ex-Government, declared that both day night and made for It will be an historical battle soldiers of the Republican Army soldiers and Workers heeded these
Order: Défented the high seas:
against German attempts to sink or civilians who supported the | facilities.-. British and American tonnage)] Republican regime.
Their liberation. Is. conditional | It is thought, they would be In- says the paper, and one is tempt]
But meanwhile opponents tercepted by the British warshiped to prophesy that it cannot suc and will become final only after Prince ́ ́ Henry, which visited coed against overwhelmingly su each case has been individually the order were busy in the
| utes rounding up thei Callagainst-week, Hatitarske
examined.Reuter,, #Routery:
·perior
REPRICOPAL USE
OF AIRFIELDS-
yesterday signed a convention - The United - providing for the reciprocal use of air flelds 20
This will permit United St "planesi tó creath. Panamas in the
rtest possib