'OW more than 30 warships, with guns ablaze, beat off an tempt by enemy aircraft to "Taranto" the British Battle Fleet while steaming in the central Mediterranean can now be told. No damage was sus! ined by any British ship in this engagement, which was briefly reported in an Admiralty communique on Saturday.
"The encounter produced the heaviest and most spectacular night barrage I have yet seen, with firing continuing almost ceaselessly for 45 minutes against the enemy's torpedo bombers.
The full moon was some 20 degrees above the horizon when our cruisers, escorting a convoy, were seen to open fire a few miles distant on our starboard quarter, whereupon our heavy units blazed forth with all their ar-moment. from six-inch downwards, In the meantime a strong screen of destroyers flung up an umbrella bar ige protecting the Battle Fleet from.
possible high-level bombing attack. when the Battle Fleet opened fire the raiders apparently abandoned the convoy and, splitting into groups, attacked the Fleet from all angles. From the Barham's compass platform, Thad a magnificent panoramic view of the Fleet steaming in line ahead belching flame in all directions, Darkness prevented ascertaining the results of the barrage. and at cease fire a thick wet fog suddenly des conded. We suffered no casualties or damage. The engagement occurred during seven-day routine operations extending to the central Mediter~ ranean, during which convoys were successfully escorted in various diree~ tions, light forees bombarded Beng: ghazi harbour, and the Fleet Air Arm shot down seven enemy aircraft in various minor attempts by Axis avia-ton against our ships, All pay tribute to" the untiring. magnificent work of the Fleet Air: Arm in driving off formations while Still several miles distant from the Fleet—Reuter, Six inchers. four inchers. multiple: pompous, even Lewis guns plastered wide area extending from sea level to the sky. Each battleship seemed be aflame from end to end like a slant set. piece in a gargantuan fre-work play, The entire ship shuddered as shells whistled away into the distance, Shouted orders were drowned by the indescribable violence of the barrage, 'Meanwhile the sea, illuminated by the blaze of guns. became periodically 'a mass of small and large waterspouts fs splinters from the destroyers' profective barrage fell around us.
Brief lulls were broken by the clatter of thousands of empty' shell eases being swept aside before the ext barrage, No torpedoes came near us. although the last ship of the Tine was seen to take avoiding action during the early part of the attack.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.