World War: Mediterranean Swept

Last week the Italians boasted loudly of mighty sea deeds against the Royal Navy, but the British chuckled at them, called them liars who had only won a "boat race" of which the goal was the Italian Fleet's home ports.

Action began (both sides agreed) when Italian scouts spied a British squadron steaming west below Crete. Italian airplanes flew out to meet this foe and (said the Italians) damaged a battleship and an aircraft carrier, sank a cruiser. Meantime, an Italian battle squadron put out to protect other Italian warships which were returning from a convoy trip to Libya and evidently were...

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