London, Sept. 20.
An initial report from the commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean A Quiet Voyage in Mediterranean London, Sept, 20.
'A 2000-mile cruise In' the ZEgean Sea and Mediterranean with British cruisers and destroyers which were fon reconnaissance patrol is related by Reuters' Special Correspondent aboard a British destroyer. The fleet, he says. was sweeping the Greek archipelago for enemy submarines and ships engaged in contraband all trade with the Dodecanese islands.
"The greater part of the trip was remarkable for ils lack of interest.
For many days, we were within bombing range of Italian aircraft stationed in Rhodes, but a solitary: Italian reconnaissance—flying-boat, which circled out of range of our guns, was the only sign of the enemy.
"This suggests that the Dodecanese suffering from lack of petrol, the supply of which has been cut off the British Fleet. Submarines provide the only method by which these Islands can be supplied. and this is a. hazardous task because these craft are an easy prey. for' British destroyers using the Adsic hydrophone, "The effectiveness of this _instrument was demonstrated during the trip when a submarine was detected, and I saw depth charges being dropped. after which bubbles of alr and patches of of appeared on the surface. Later. depth charges were dropped around another submarine, which is unlikely to have survived the attack.
"On joining a convoy, we learned that one of its escorts had been unsuccessfully attacked by four talion alreratt. one of which attempted to attack with an aerial torpedo, It was learned that three of these four machines had been foreed to land on the Turkish coast as a result of damage sustained by naval guns of the British escort."—Reuter. the distance from the islands Alexandria being only 400 miles.
Reports indicate that great damage was done to fuel stocks held in the Dodecanese islands, and that the Ttallans may have difficulty in replacing these without strong naval On the Egyptian front, there 1s evidence of perfect cooperation between the three British fighting services. For the moment Marshal Graziani's army appears to have halted at Sidi Barrani to establish water and potrol supplies—a task, which will not be easy—Reuter.
Indicates that units of the Royal Navy. continued to harry the northern flanie of the Ttalian advance from Libya, states an Admiralty communique.
Tu the night of September 17. one of the British naval units bombarded a coast road 40 Sollum at close range. Simultaneously other units attacked an enemy concentration at Sidi. Barrani, The _commander-in. chief reports that both these bombardments appeared to have had considerable success.
Bon Ghazei was attacked by aircraft of the fect on September 16, During. this attack chant ship' was set afire, one destroyer probably was sunk and Several other ships were damaged.
Yesterday's Italian communique admitted that a "torpedo boat and a pontoon have been sunk and a fow fires started at Bon Ghazei.'
Concurrently with these operations off the Libyan coast naval opera tions have been carried out in other areas. [n the course of these actions no enemy naval forces could he Tocated.
Fuel Stocks Damaged Opexations in Lieut-General Sir Archibald Wavell's Near Eastern Command continue to cover a wide front, writes Reuter's military cor respondent, His aircraft have successfully attacked the Dodecanese islands, which the Italians have converted inia frst class naval and air fortresses and which.they claim to be equal in strength fo Malta or Gibraltar.
These islands have also enabled Ttalian aircraft to threaten Alexandria
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.