(By Reuter's Special Correspondent with the Mediterranean Fleet, on board a British Battleship)
Feb. 6.
Underterred by the new threat from the skies; Britain's powerful Eastern Mediterranean battle fleet has once again put to sea. Taking up the gauntlet flung down by the Luftwaffe on the decks of the aircraft-carrier "Illustrious" in the epic seven-hour duel last month, the Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir Ándrew Cunningham issued a stirring signal fo all ships that "Italian or German, these pests, must be shot out of the sky."
The German and Italian air challenge has failed to hinder fleet activities, Certain units have fulfilled a highly important mission in the central Mediterranean and light forces along the Libyan coast have maintained uninterrupted operations.
Far from shrinking before the aerial threat, the fleet is carrying war into the enemy's camp, ready to make or seek engagement,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.