Show British hail Ha 1 Great Arctic Victory CONVOY BLASTS 40 PLANES TWO IS Most Mos Ships Reach Russia After Fo Four Day r Day Battle LO LONDON Sept SeIt 25 UP UP- UP British naval forces in their biggest biggest biggest big big- gest Arctic victory of the the- war have de destroyed troyed at le least st 40 German German German Ger Ger- man planes and sUI sunk sank k two and possibly six enemy submarines in a four-day four naval and air attack attack attack at at- tack on ona a Russi Russian bound bound n-bound convoy convoy the admiralty announced Friday The running battle in the h hazardous hazardous haz haz- z- z water off northern Norway involved one of the biggest convoy convoy convoy con con- voy op operations in some time Losses among the merchant ships were not specified but casualties were slight because of the efficient efficient effi effi- dent rescue of the crews of merchant merchant mer met chant ships lost The convoy battle cost the BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish the destroyer Somali which broke in two and sank after being torpedoed and the ton minesweeper minesweeper minesweeper mine mine- sweeper Leda also torpedoed and sunk British air losses losses' were losses were four naval planes but three pilots were saved Destroy 40 Planes Carrier borne naval air fighters known as Sea Hurricanes aided by other planes and the convoys convoy's antiaircraft antiaircraft antiaircraft anti anti- aircraft defenses were credited with destroying 13 planes in one days day's engagement and 24 on the following day At least three others were known to have b been en destroyed and the admiralty said many others e were e destroyed e r ed pr or oJ Jr d- d r 1 It was known was that the the- the main main part of the ConVoy on which h th the attack was start started d September 12 three days after it had been sighted sight sight- ed by enemy planes and submarines submarines submarines J rines had reached Russia with supplies for the red army The axis radios had been makIng making making mak mak- ing fantastic claims for a week regarding the big convoy but the t admiralty's denied them flatly 1 1 1 Concealed in Figures The admiralty summarizing the operation said the enemy had enemy had concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- heavy ships and U-boats U in Norwegian fjords and had concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- many aircraft in northern northera northern north north- ern era Norway The enemy thus was in position position post post- tion to attack from its bases conveniently conveniently conveniently con con- situated on the flank Hank of the convoy route throughout the many days of its passage the admiralty said The convoy having been sighted sight sight- ed by enemy planes September 9 again was shadowed by planes on on I September 12 S r I It became clear that several i U-boats U were in the vicinity and Continued on Page Four I Column Five 1 BRITAIN HAILS ARCTIC VICTORY Continued from Paw Pace On One a 8 number of attacks were carried out against them the que said Planes Lay Mines l On September 13 the enemy attacked with U-boats U and made madea a succession of attacks with a large number of aircraft It also employed aircraft to lay mines ahead of the convoy The first attack on September 13 was a level high-level raid by about six bombers Shortly after the convoy was attacked by 40 to 50 torpedo bombers flying abreast at the convoy in close formation Fighter planes maneuvering in intense antiaircraft fire from all ships destroyed at least five enemy enemy en en- emy planes the said These were seen to crash in the sea and it was believed others were probably destroyed or damaged The third attack of the day the said was was made by nine torpedo bombers This was driven off by gunfire and the bombers were forced to drop their torpedoes at long range range Two enemy planes crashed in inthis inthis inthis this attack Torpedo Planes Attack The next attack was made by 12 torpedo bombers at dusk on the same day the admiralty dis dis- dis- dis closed It was frustrated by navai naval naval na na- na- na val vai fighter planes and the gunfire of ships ships' Six enemy aircraft crashed at sea the said making making mak mak- making ing the total for the day 13 de de- de- de At dawn on September 14 the Germans attacked with rines Several of th the undersea raiders were attacked with depth charges and once air bubles oil wreckage and wooden gratings were seen on the surface indicating indicating indicating ing that the enemy craft had been destroyed two Twenty-two torpedo bombers attacked during that afternoon The enemy clearly disliked the work of our naval fighter aircraft aircraft air air- craft the admiralty said and selected the aircraft carrier as its main mam target but she he was not hit High Level Bombing A high level evel bombing attack by 12 planes developed a short time later and lasted for an hour and anda a quarter Immediately afterward the said an attack was made by 25 torpedo bombers Again the work of the fighters and gunfire from all ships saved the convoy Our pilots in these attacks shot down five enemy aircraft and probably destroyed three others They damaged 14 Shortly afterward snot h her e r high level evel bombing attack devel devel- No damage was caused At least 24 enemy aircraft were destroyed during the day On September 15 the admiralty's admiralty's admiralty's admiral admiral- tys ty's summary of the battle said the convoy was subjected to high and low level bombing attacks of three hours' hours duration Fifty to 70 enemy aircraft participated Hampered by Clouds Our defense was hampered by low clouds but the enemy was harassed by our gunfire aircraft when he was above the clouds and by intense gunfire whenever he appeared below them it said Owing to the low visibility only one enemy aircraft actually was seen to crash Submarines attacked again on the the disclosed disclosed disclosed dis dis- dis- dis closed and again wreckage on the surface indicated at least one ne U-boat U had been sunk by depth charges The last attack on this convoy was by 24 dive bombers shortly before it reached its destination the summary continued No damage damage damage dam dam- age was caused but two enemy aircraft were shot down The admiralty admitted some losses among the merchant vessels vessels ves ves- sels sets but said the great majority arrived safely Not Used Once again the products of the arms factories of Britain and the United States were fought through to Russia by the fortitude and determination of the officers and men on the British American and Russian ships and their escorts escorts escorts es es- es- es corts it said It was believed Adolf Hitler had intended to use his super- super battleship in the convoy attack but it was forced to return return re re- re- re turn to its Norwegian refuge to avoid British and naval forces which appeared fully prepared observers observers observers ob ob- servers said |