Evening star., 1941-09-07
British Claim SINKING
OF Big Liner Believed
Carrying Axis Troops
Ship Sunk From Strongly
Escorted Itoliun Convoy,
Admiralty Announces
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. Sept. 6.-Britain an
nounced today for the second
straight day a successful attack on
large italian liner in the Med
iterranean believed to have been
transporting troops to reinforce AXIS
armies in North Africa.
An Admiralty communique stated
that the 1l.398-ton liner Esperia
was torpedoed by British subma-
rine and sunk off Tripoli. attacked
while in IAN exceptionally strong
ly escorted convoy" of destroyers,
torpedo boats. motor torpedo boats
and flying boats.
Liners of this type are used by
the enemy as troopships,' observed
| the Admiralty in comment SINH
lar to that issued yesterday in an
nouncing the torpedoing and al
most certain" sinking of a liner
which the Admiralty thought was
the 23,635-ton Duillo.
The Duilio, also southbound, was
believed to have been carrying
troops.
A successful attack on a second
southbound Axis convoy in the Med
! iterranean also was announced, !,
with submarines torpedoing and
sinking a merchant ship of the
4,O0O-ton Ramb class between Ia
ranto and Bengasi. Ships of this
class, owned by the italian govern
ment. are fast and have been used
as raiders. One of them was sunk
in the Indian Ocean some months
ago.
The presence of large liners in
italian convoys recently attacked
in the Mediterranean undoubtedly
indicates that the Axis is attempt
ing to reinforce its armies in North
Africa. one well-informed observed
/ said tonight, adding that 1t was rea-
sonable to assume that some OF
them are getting through. since 1t Is
impossible to sink every ship that
sets out"
This observer said these signs Of
growing activity did not necessarily
mean that the Axis was contem-
plating an early large-scale offensive
from the Egyptian frontier.
Needs Reinforcements.
1t was explained that the Axis
probably needs reinforcements to
insure holding its present position
in Libya during major operations
elsewhere. The Axis may also hope,
it was said, that the unusual move
ment would divert British attention
from other war fronts.
Another possible conclusion was
that the French are now opposing
the use of Tunisian territorial
waters for transport of Axis soldiers
and supplies.
Italian transports in the past, 1t
was said, have slipped across the
narrow straits of Sicily and then
hugged the coast toward Tripoli,
giving British warships little oppor-
tunity to molest them without virtu-
ally attacking Tunisia itself.
There is no reliable indication
here of how extensive the troop
movements across the Mediter-
ranean are, nor definite information
of the numbers of German and
Italian soldiers in Libya. A liner
of the Esperia size probably would
carry about 5000 troops, it was said.
Official statements show that
there have been 80 attacks by
British submarines in the Mediter-
ranean since early July, resulting
in the reported sinking of 13 mer-
chant ships, three tankers, eight
schooners and five troop-carrying
| caiques.
Two Italian cruisers have been
hit but are not known to have been
sunk, according to the British tabu-
lation, in addition to the torpedoing
and serious damaging of a 10000
ton cruiser announced yesterday.