Show G 1 I I B fI British Sink 1 11 1 Ships Killing ing Thousands Att Attack ck on Italian Convoys on Way to Africa Shares Spotlight With Wide R RAF AF Forays ALEXANDRIA Egypt Nov 10 AP Thousands AP Thousands of of axis troops destined for North Africa were believed Monday to have been aboard 10 axis supply ships all heavily laden which were sunk Sunday by British warships in an attack on two Italian con con- voys off southern Italy It was the greatest single ingle blow to the Italian merchant navy since last spring when the axis began s sending l scale reinforcements s to North Afire The troops were believed bound to reinforce the western desert forces of Major General Erwin n Rommel commander of axis away the debris of wrecked The action was announced here Monday in a Bi British tish naval headquarters headquarters headquarters head head- quarters statement substantially like the admiralty Issued is issued issued is- is sued in London LONDON LONDO Nov 10 IP The Wi-The WiTheR The R RAF A F continuing its smashing mashing air offensive roared back over Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many Sunday night for the third night in a row as the British navy claimed it had wiped out two axis Mediterranean convoys of 10 supply supply sup sup- ply ships and at least one destroyer destroy destroy- er without suffering so much as asa asa asa a scratch Targets in northwest Germany again were the chief objectives of the R A F's night bombers authoritative authoritative authoritative au au- au- au quarters said Except for a daylight lull British British British Brit Brit- ish planes were reported on the attack almost every hour of the day and night during the week end in smashes at Germany and her Continued on Page Two Column Five Where British Sank 11 Italian Vessels o 0 MILES YUGOSLAVIA I ROMEe TIRANA q x NAPLE BRINDI w SEA SICILY IONIA IONIAN H CATANIA SEA g j VALLETA 1 M MALTA TA g H TEN TRANSPORT SHIPS DESTROYER DOWN HERE English lost nothing despite superior enemy forces BRITISH SCORE IN AIR AND SEA Continued from Page One occupied areas Italy and axis ads positions positions positions po po- po- po on the smoldering North African front The admiralty hailed the Medi Mediterranean Mediterranean action as a brilliant and determined action by overmatched overmatched overmatched over over- matched British warships I Its contained Prime Minister Churchill's Churchill s congratulations congratulations upon this most important and timely action which gravely interrupts the enemy's supply lines to Africa and impedes his long- long boasted offensive against the Nile valley 1 I Rome Admits Losses In Rome it was admitted that British warships sank seven Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian merchantmen and two destroyers destroyers destroyers de de- and damaged another destroyer destroyer destroyer de de- de- de slightly in an attack on a convoy in the central Mediterranean Mediterranean Mediterranean Saturday night Two of the attacking British war vessels were reported to have been struck by torpedoes in a re retaliatory retaliatory retaliatory re- re air raid Many of or the survivors of or the Italian vessels were rescued the high command said in telling of the loss of some Italian steamers and the destroyers The official British h version emphasized emphasized emphasized em em- the totality of the victory for sea forces which the British say hold mastery of the The told this story Two convoys at the moment of merging were demolished in waters waters waters wa wa- wa- wa just off the boot of the Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian homeland by two British destroyers destroyers destroyers de de- de- de and two ton cruisers which outfought an escort of two Italian destroyers and two powerful powerful powerful power power- ful ton cruisers Every merchant ship in the convoys convoys convoys con con- voys was hit and set afire one Italian destroyer was sunk and at least one other seriously damaged The British suffered neither casualties nor damage although torpedo-firing torpedo axis planes attacked them before the reached har har- bor The cargoes of all the supply ships were not specified but the admiralty said one was an ammunition ammunition ammunition am am- ship which exploded explode a and andone andone andone one was a laden taker of about tons which was left burning burning burning burn burn- ing furiously There was no estimate of the total tonnage lost by the axis nor of the part played in the battle by the two Italian cruisers Desperate Situation Seen That the 10 supply ships were given such a heavy escort these sources said was evidence that the axis has been compelled to take desperate measures in attempting to o maintain its Libyan armies against constant pounding of its supply lines The admiralty said the British forces in the action included the cruisers Aurora am and Penelope and the new ton 1920 destroyers Lively and Lance The new night air assault on Germany followed up Saturday night light raids aimed principally against Essen home of the great greal Krupp munitions works and other centers of the important Ruhr val- val ley ey The Italians acknowledged that the he British also had pounded Italy Saturday for the second sive sive ive night night revisiting g Naples and d dother other places in southern Italy and Sicily The R RAP A F also stepped up a day and night offensive against axis strongholds in North Africa chiefly chiefly chief- chief ly y the advance Libyan base of Ben- Ben gasi asi and reported successful attacks attacks at- at tacks acks on the occupied German-occupied channel hannel ports of Ostend Belgium and nd Dunkerque France German air attacks were made on Britain both Saturday and Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day nights but the British said only a few raiders appeared and damage was slight |