Evening star., 1941-05-13
British War Fleet
AT Base Undamaged
By Axis Air Attack
German Planes RepeIIed
6 Times Saturday Night
In BIosting Attacks
BY LARRY ALLEN,

Associated Press War Correspondent.
ABOARD THE FLAGSHIP WAR
SPITE WITH THE BRITISH Med
ITERRANEAN FLEET, May 13.-
Britain's Mediterranean battle feet,
escorting large war convoy, ar
rived back at its Egyptian base today
after having repelled one of the
most determined Nazi night torpedo
bombing attacks of the war.
The entire fleet, undamaged de-
spite Italian radio claims to the
contrary. splashed leisurely to
anchorage with its personnel salts
fled that some of Hermann Goer-
ing's German aces had seen more
fire than ever before
Work Immediately was started re-
plenishing ammunition supplies in
the event that other bombers over
the Mediterranean should test the
power of concentrated anti
aircraft barrage.
Six times Saturday night Nazi
planes tried to penetrate one Of the
heaviest anti-aircraft barrages ever
fired from ships. Each time they
were turned back by the burst of
fame and metal.
Scores of Shells Used.
Score after score of shells from
6-inch, As and 4 inch guns and
pompom batteries whizzed over the
water, aimed at the Iow-fying tar
gets that were maneuvering des-
perately to get close enough to shove
torpedoes into the battleships, cruis-
ers and destroyers escorting the
convoy.
Aboard this flagship I saw one of
the greatest fireworks display ever
belched from naval guns during the
75-minute attack. 1t made the light
of brilliant moon look like a glim-
mering star, finally forcing the Luft-
waite squadron to speed to its Sicil-
ian or Libyan bases. dropping tor
pedoes and bombs harmlessly into
the sea.
Scout planes began shadowing the
fleet as it splashed quietly through
the moonlit waters between the is
land of Crete and the Libyan coast
near dusk Saturday evening. Sud-
denly there appeared a formation
Of II aircraft, clinging to the clouds
and awaiting an opportune moment
to pounce.
The Nazis received the surprise
they had planned for the British.
Wall of Fire Sent Up.
Swiftly, as darkness settled and
the silvery moon silhouetted the
ships of the convoy, the Nazis
dropped out of the skies and
SKINNED over the sea. heading for
the first ships in the line.
Instantaneously, 6-inch and 4
inch shells from cruisers and de-
stroyers on the starboard side of
the flagship split the night with a
wall of fire that forced the Nazis
to climb swiftly from range and
withhold their torpedoes.
Changing their tactics, the Ger
mans few head-on into the line
of battleships, again swooping low
This flagship opened fire with all
her 6-inch guns and smaller arm
ament. Huge. jagged flashes made
her look as if she we're afire from
stern to bow. Flaming onions, F."
resembling multi-colored popcorn
balls, streaked into the pathway of
the torpedo bombers.
This thunderous barrage caused
the Nazis to shift their attentions
to the battleships Barham and VAL
liant. Fire then gushed their guns
as thousands of shells peppered the
raiders, bursting above like Roman
candles. The Warspite's guns con-
tinued to roar deafeningly.
Back After Midnight.
Finally giving up their hope of
getting within torpedo range, the
flyers dropped their torpedoes and
bombs in the vicinity of group of
destroyers and turned for home to
reload and refuel.
After midnight they came back,
hopping over the battle feet this
time in an effort to get at the con-
voyed ships. But they met another
terrific barrage and fed again with
out inf1icting any damage
This was but one operation dur
ing week In which the feet steadily
escorted conveys eastward through
the Mediterranean. In that period
fighters of the fleet air arm shot
down a half-dozen Axis planes, in
Guiding both German and Italian.