1941-03-31 — Page 19

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THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 31, 1941.

Obrard Sintes

Couri

Page S

ANGLO-FRENCH

CLASH

OFF ALGIERS COAST Shore Batteries MORE

ONE SHIP

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 is stated in authoritative cir- eles that at least one of these ship. sailed from Bangkok with rubber. which would inevitably find its way across the Rhine.

Britain, it is stated, has always fully maintained hver nights under international law to sewich ships suspected of carrying contraband destined for Germany, and it has long been notorious that French merchantmen have been carrying to French metropolitan parts var ious materials, a high proportion of which are immediately appro priated by Germany.

Strange Reflection

ان

It is considered in London strange reflection on French po- licy that she should attack British forces at the very time when the British Navy was engaged in des- troying warships ៧ France's enemy, Italy.

Fire On Warships: ALLEGED

Convoy Incident

ONLY THREE DAYLIGHT AIR RAIDERS

Only three German bombers ventured over the British coast in daylight yesterday.

One of them crash ed near Middles- brough, in Yorkshire, shot down by a Spit- fire patrol. All the crew were killed. Reuter.

A "DEPTH" CHARGE

WITH COASTAL

BOMB A BLEN.

A SINGLE

COMMAND Moreover, the French action, as HEIM YESTERDAY BANK A seen in London, appears particu-GERMAN ANTI SUBMARINE larly untimely when Britain has VESSEL OFF THE ESTUARY OF indicated her willingness to abro- THE LOIRE.

gate her international right to the The botab struck the ship for- extent of allowing the passage of ward of the bridge, says the Air certain foodstuffs in order to re-Ministry news service. There was lieve sufferings in unoccupied a terrific explosion and the ship France caused by German rapa- caught fire and was seen to city. Reuter.

sinking rapidly.-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 the town itself the main station build-

AN INCIDENT IN WHICH FRENCH SHORE BATTERIES IN ALGIERS OPENED FIRE «ON

DETAILS

SOME BRITISH LIGHT NAVAL FORCES IS RE- A French version of the LATED IN AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE ISSU- Anglo-French convoy in- ED BY THE ADMIRALTY IN LONDON YES- TERDAY.

cident, given in a French Admiralty communique,

also claims that the cargo cerned consisted solely of of the merchantships con-

The communique states: "Reports had been received that a convoy of four merchant ships, escorted by French destroyers, was due commodities and products to pass through the Straits of Ġibraltar and destined to supply the that the convoy carried important war mater-native population of Al- ial for Germany.

geria.

"Accordingly orders were given for the in- terception of the convoy which, however, pass.

The cargo, it claims, was rire, sugar, barley and so forth, and "All the evidences, and the route follow-

the communique adds:

ed through the Straits within Spanish territored by the ships along the Algerian ial waters.

"Our forces caught up with the French ships after they had left Spanish territorial waters and called upon them to stop so that the normal procedure of visit and search might be carried out.

"French shore batteries in the vicinity then opened fire on our ships, notwithstanding that they were merely engaged exercise of our legitimate ligerent rights.

in

bel

"His Majesty's ships were comi- pelled to reply in their own de- were abserved fence, and hits

on whore batteries,

Interests Of Humanity

"In view of the action taken by the French batteries our

war- ships would have been fully jusți- fied in firing on the French mér- but chantships and their escort,

in the interests of humanity did not do so and the mechantships succeeded in entering the nearby French port of Nemours.

our

were

"During the return of 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 t 9 o'clock on Sunday morning in French territorial waters, bc- tween Nemours and Oran, a con- merchant- voy of four French ships bound from Casablanca to Orun under the escort of a single French destroyer.

in } the

"The convoy took shelter the port of Nemours under protection of its escort, naval shore bat.eries and aircraft, which

ings, trucks, sidings and a motor transport replied to the live of the aggres

park were repeatedly hit and severely damag- ed. Motor transport, a factory and a stores yard were set on fire.

and

Motor transport and troops on tacks on motor transport roads in the saime area were buildings in the Nagi area. heavily bombed and machine- Near Diredawn motor transport gunned. Many vehicles were vehicles were overturned and destroyed and others damaged, many others observed to be Aircraft of A Free French darnaged after machine-gun at- squadron took part in a raid on tack from the air. an enemy encampment between Gondar and Asmara, where mili- tory buildings were demolished by direct hits.

1

Railway Attacked

of

Libya: during the night March 28/20 R.A.F. bombers raided the harbour of Tripoli.

Ships Strafed

LARGE BOMBS WERE OB- SERVED ΤΟ FALL AMONG the SHIPPING AND OTHERS WERE dam- SEEN

BURSTING BETWEEN con- THE WIRELESS STATION AND vehicles THE MAIN ELECTRIC POWER

and STATION.

North of Dessye and in Awash orea considerable age was done to a large centration of motor when they were bombed machine-gunned.

sors and drove them off.

"The convoy is safe and un- hamed."--Reuter.

ARMY 'LASSIES' KILLED WHILE READING BIBLE

Two women were killed while reading the Bible on Sunday night when a bomb hit a house used us Salvation Army officers' quarters in an outer London area.

They were Adjutant Edna M. Mortimer, aged thirty-two, whose parents live at Scarborough. Yorks, and. Lieutenant Gertrude A. Cocksedge, twenty-four, whose Albania: Three. successful

parents live at Manchester. ....The railway station at Motar- |offensive reconnaissances were

They had been out earlier in hari was also dive-bombed and made on Saturday against the the evening selling copies of the the railway line damaged. Albanian villages of Berat, Dukai "War Cry," but returned home Aircraft of the South African and Dukati.

because the raid was so severe. Air Force carried out successful From these operations all our The Thames Estuary and Lon- bombing and machine-gun at- alrcraft returned safely-Reuter, Idon were the chief targets.

ITALIAN LOSSES

IN ALBANIA

An Italian stock-taking of the war in Albania would show losses in men and material fur out- weighing any advantages.

I

coast, goes to show it was a trans- action between two French pas- sessions,

"The attack on the convoy by British warships cannot, therefore, be explained by the necessities of the blockade, the object of which is to prevent cargo ships taking food supplies to belligerent com- tries."

Italian prisoners say the recent offensive cost 50.000 casualties.

The communique contends that Huge stores of materials

were the British "atlack" was entirely captured which the Greeks are unjustifiable and **incomprehen- now using.

sible."--Reuter.

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