"This tense but farcical situation continued for nine hours while the submarine waited in the hope that the landed British officer would find Mr. Campbell and bring him down to the port. Nine hours after entering the harbour, however, the Regent was attacked by two Italian dive-bombers. These dropped several bombs and attacked with machineguns, slightly wounding the commanding-officer, a first-lieutenant. and a petty officer. The Commanding Officer of the Regent then decided that he could wait no longer, in face of the great risk of further attacks. The Regent dived and left harbour submerged.
"The submarine had to pass through two mine fields in order to reach the harbour of Kotor. These she successfully negotiated on jeaving. and then passed out of the Adriatic and returned to her base, with the Italian [hostage still on board "Although the Regent's mission was unsuccessful in rescuing the British Minister," the communique concludes, "the fact that a British submarine could lie for nine hours in a harbour occupied by the enemy and subsequently be successfully extricated is a tribute to the coolness and determination of the Commanding Officer and crew of the Regent."—Reuter:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.