Evening star., 1941-01-14
Mediterranean Drive
Held Aimed al Troops
Going 10 Aid Greeks
Goydo Says Axis Seo-Air
Attacks Have Damaged
Or Sunk IS Vessels
- the Associated Press.

NJ SahN - NCSSSlS
- the Associated Press.
ROME, Jan. 14-An intensive
axis sea-air offensive in the Mediter-
ranean during the last five days
has been aimed at heavy REIN
forcements of British troops, being
sent to Greece in response to urgent
calls for help and to bolster Britain S
own forces In North Africa, Fascist
Editor Virginio Gayda reported
today.
Torpedo and bomb attacks, ac-
eording to Italian claims, have sunk
or damaged Is enemy" vessels
and Gayda said they were in a
double convoy, one part headed for
Greece and the other for Alexandria,
Egypt.
The high command has reported
10 scores by Italian naval forces and
cooperating nazi-Fascist air forces.
An enemy" submarine sunk by
italian planes and motor torpedo
boats Thursday was reported today.
Previous communiques have listed
hits on a battleship of Britains
81 ,000-ton Malaga class. two aircraft
carriers. two cruisers, three destroy
ers and one big warship."
Two Losses Admitted.
Only the submarine and one
cruiser have been reported sunk.
In addition. however, Gayda re-
ported the 1,335-ton British de-
stroyer Gallant apparently" sunk
and the newspaper II Popolo Di
Roma records second submarine
said to have been sunk, a third
cruiser and two steamers hit.
Recovery of sailors caps and bits
OF lifeboat wreckage bearing the
name of the Gallant, Gayda said, in
II Giornale d'Italia, indicated that
the destroyer was sunk in an attack
Friday.
The Italian communiQue Sunday
reported a naval battle in the Strait
of Sicily about dawn Friday, where,
1t said, two Italian torpedoboats at
tackled a formidable line of British
warships and left cruiser sinking
and two destroyers squirting flame.
The convoy, Gayda said, started
through the Mediterranean at Gil
braltar and was composed of two
columns of ships"
"One was headed for Alexandria,
where large supplies urgently were
requested after the big battle tof
Bardia) in North Africa he said.
Greek Forces Exposed.
The other was going to Greece,
where the British command re-
uuested with equal urgency new,
abundant supplies of men and equip
ment after the enormous losses suf-
fered on the Albanian 'front.'
Gayda said that Greek forces
"have been entirely employed and
used up on the Albanian front and
are now dangerously exposed at the
rear and on land
Greek propaganda bulletins may
tell of invariable and striking sue
cesses," he declared. The reality
of Greek defense appears to be
darker every day"
Galda said that the battleship
Malaya entered drydock as soon as
she returned to Gibraltar and that
an aircraft carrier of the Illustrious
type $4,000 tons) was discovered
damaged ir Malta harbor."
Today's communlque acknoWl-
edged the sinking of small Italian
steamer by a Greek submarine in
the Adriatic off the Yugoslav coast
December 81, and charged that the
submarine shelled a lifeboat,
against every rule of warfare,
killing 10 members of the crew.
THE Greek Ministry of Marine
reported January 5 that the Greek
submarine Katsonis sank an
italian tanker by gunfire in the
Adriatic after missing the ship
with two torpedoes last December
81. The ministry said the tanker
was armed with two guns and
was headed for the Albanian port
Of Giovanni di MeduaO
The italian communique said the
attack on the steamer, which it de-
scribed as cargo vessel, took
place in Yugoslav territorial waters.
British statements that extensive
damage was caused in air raids on
Porto Marehera, near Venice, the
night OF January II were denied
today by an authoritative Italian
source.
This source said "only extremely
slight damage and small fire soon
brought under control resulted
from the bombing,
The high command said Italian
plsnes repeatedly bombed" Greek
bases, troops and motor trucks on
the Albanian front, where patrol
and artillery activity" was reported.