1941-01-29 — Page 2

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 29, 1941.

AIR WAR AT SEA Struggle Between Luftwaffe And British Fleet Confidence In The Navy's Fighting Power

(By Reuter's Air. Correspondent)

FULL CONFIDENCE IN THE CONTINUED FIGHTING POWER OF THE BRITISH FLEET WAS EXPRESSED YESTERDAY IN THE FIRST COMMENT BY A HIGH BRITISH NAVAL OFFI- CER ON THE AIR WAR AT SEA SINCE THE BATTLE OF THE STRAITS OF SICILY BEGAN.

Among observations he made against the background of the struggle between the Ger- man air force and British warships in the Cen- tral Mediterranean was this:

"Air action will not seriously hamper the power of the Navy so long as you have enough aircraft-carriers. Our continued operations

in the Mediterranean, despite both the Ger- man and Italian air forces, prove this."

LUFTWAFFE CATCHES A TARTAR

the

By the very nature of Fleet's continued action, he add- cd, there must be a reverse, as in the case of the cruiser South- ampton and the aircraft-carrier Illustrious.

In this officer's view there is very little danger of the capital ship being sunk by bombing al- teck, for it is able to take such heavy punishment.

Diccussing the relative merits of British and German air ac- tion at goa the spokesman con. tended that in the Skua Britain had the finest dive bomber in the world.

Bergen Success

An Admiralty com munique states: "It is. now known that on Sat- urday, January 25 an en- emy aircraft was engaged by H.M. Trawlers Strath- rannock and Philippe and seen to be repeatedly hit.

Skua aircraft sank a German Crippled and on fire the cruiser of the Koenigsberg class enemy jettisoned its achieving the first known success at Bergen in April last year, thus bombs and disappeared against a major naval unit in the

history of naval warfare. into the mist in an easter- ly direction.

Of sixteen bombs dropped three On Sunday afternoon, January found their mark, which demon- 26, attacks were made by aircraft strated the accuracy of bombing on shipping off the East Coast. against intense anti-aircraft fire.

shot

In addition to the JU88

dive- Britain recognised that down by HM. Trawler Calvani, already announced, H.M.S. Wal-bombing might in time become lace and H.M. Drifters Fisher Boy too expensive and the Admiralty and Reids were in action with the hnd put its faith in the torpedo enemy and if is known that at as a naval aircraft's primary least two aircraft, an ME110 and weapon for two decades.

a TU88, wore destroyed by them. One body and one injured pri- soner were recovered from the wreckage of one aircraft. From the other, which was shot down in flames, there were no survivors. No damage or casualties were sus- tained by H.M. ships.

Enemy aircraft were also sur- cessfully engaged by anti-aircraft guns of

merchantmen and one enemy aircraft of

a type not identified was destroyed by them. One vessel received some damage from a near miss but reached port in safety" British Wireless.

WILLKIE

IN LONDON

The torpedo was more dead- ly than the bomb, as it went for the most vulnerable part of a warship -- below the water- line.

Supreme Types

Maintenance of this policy had provided a notable success against the Italians, though it had not been attributed to the Fleet Air Arm. The attack was carried out in, daylight and there British casualties.

were no

BIR

THE BARRAGE THE NAZIS DON'T LIKE-An officer in command of an anti-aircraft bat- tary, checking over the ammunition while the gun is cleaned in readiness for another barrage. During the recent all-night raids, the enemy aircraft have met ons of the fiercest barrages ever known. (Copyright, Fox).

DISAPPEARANCE OF INDIAN LEFTIST

The disappearance of Subhas Chandra Bose, well-known In- dian Congress Leftist leader, in Calcutta Relatives

continues. ascribe the disap- pearance to a sudden religious impulse.

Bose was due to ap- pear before the court in connection with a seven-months old case against him and when he failed to appear the court issued a war- rant.-Reuter.

MORE THAN JUST A GESTURE

COMMENTING ON Lord Halifax's arri- val the American paper Youngstown "Daily Vindicator" says the meeting with President Roosevelt had a deeper meaning than a mers generous gesture.

Symbolically the meeting took place on the sea, chief defence against aggression for both England and America.

The two nations have kept joint on the relations which it is his control of the oceans......the mission and duty to advance.

meeting is a forerunner of still closer collaboration which is a npcessary part of their situation to-day.

The battleship King George

Y is a reminder of Britain p the confident ruler of the oceans. The "Providence Journal" says

The "Baltimore Sun" calls the the meeting was a dramatic sym- meeting one of the most dramatic | bol of friendship between the two incidents of the war, and says all | countries. eyes are fixed with interest and

sympathy on Lord Halifax and Lord Halifax stands for the best The "Atlanta Journal” declares

IRON GUARD HEAD

traditions of English freedom, cul- ture and statesmanship. His coming augurs well for good un- derstanding and for fruitful 19- sults. Reuter

FLEES RUMANIA "EMPRESS"

ALL RUMANIAN passports must be stamped with a special visa before their own- ers can leave the country, according to a de- depot ship and a gunboat went to cree issued by General Antonescu, the Pre-

Two Italian submarines, મૈં

the bottom.

Essential characteristic of tor- pedo-carrying aircraft was their manoeuvrability, and in this res- BOTH DURING YESTERDAY pect the Swordfish and Albacore

MORNING AND AFTERNOON types were supreme anywhere in

MEETINGS WITH PROMINENT the world. BRITISH PERSONALITIES” MR.

WENDELL WILLKIE HEARD Bomba Sinkings

A.A. GUNS FIRING AT GER-

mier, in Bucharest yesterday.

The order includes diplomats.

ing the escape of certain persons Presumably it aims at prevent

wanted by Governmer for their share in the abortive Aron Guard rovolt.

·

Press reports received in Bei-

MAN RAIDERS OVER LONDON. I understand that the Fleet Air After inspecting bomb damage Arm's achievement refers to the to St. Paul's Cathedral Mr. Will-bald official announcement of an grade yesterday state that Horia kie visited the Bank of England attack made on August 22 last. Sima is now defnitely known gud met the Governor, Mr. Mon- Warships were lying in Bomba have fled from Rumania Instead tagu Norman. Later he saw roadstead, in Libya. One torpedo Eabour leaders in the Churchill sank an anchored submarine. Government; Mr. Attlee and Mr. Greenwood, and listened to: the Prime Minister speaking in tha Commons. A

Mr. Willkie then visifed Cardin- | al. Hinsley, Arclibishop of · Weit! minster" and dined last night; with Ford Beaverbre Minister of

Pró

The other three warships were. "fying alongside each other. A atcond submarine and a gun. boat were on the qufalde and the depot ship in the middle, The two remaining torpedoes into the submarine atid and as a result of the ex-

at being arrested, as previously reported:

Haul Of Arms

Queen

King Michael and the Mother have given 500,000 lel for families of soldiers killed in the the fund for the benefit of the

Revolt.

General Antonescu is suffering from Influenza-Reuter.

ITALIAN CAPTIVES FOR AFRICA

The South African: has pureed to accommor

Meanwhile, the military; au" Italian prisoners capt thorities' alalam

Western Desert in

| ships which would

convey them të

LINER SAFE IN PORT

The liner “Empress of Australia" was almost certainly in harbour, it Iwas pointed out in Lon- don yesterday, when the alleged attack on her took place.

́Ân' §.0.9...... · said to have come from the ship, stated she was in a position some 200 miles west of Dakar.

This would mean the nearest British port would be Freetown, Sierra Leone, about 800 miles away, and thus the ship could not possibly have reached a British Port ring the Ume between the

'S.0.9. and the announce. hat the ship was safe, jins

uggested the Germans man

"were anxious