R.A.F. IN ACTION

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 125, 29 May 1942, Page 5

R.A.F. IN ACTION

ENEMY BASES RAIDED

Many Transport Vehicles In

Libya Destroyed

British Official Wireless

Rec. 1 p.m. RUGBY, May 28. An R.A.F. Middle East communique states: "Throughout yesterday our fighters and bombers were in action against enemy mechanised forces in the Bir Hacheim and El Adem areas. Nine enemv aircraft were shot down by fighters and others were severely damaged. In addition a large number of transport vehicles were destroyed. "Last night the enemy aerodrome at Tmini was heavily bombed. This aerodrome was also attacked on Tuesday as was the landing ground at Martuba. "Enemy aircraft carried out a series of night operations against our forward positions. Two Junkers 88 and one Heinkel 111 were shot down. "Objectives at Messina, in Sicily, were again raided on Tuesday night. Four of our aircraft are missing from these operations." Giving Rommel His First Shocks The British United Press correspondent with the Bth Army says: "With even stronger forces than we had in November, the Bth Army is giving Rommel his first shocks in the battles raging in the Western Desert. I saw the reason when I drove to the front, weaving among convoys and reinforcements, 100 miles long. I had never, in two years of desert warfare, seen so many tanks moving up. "The main move by the Axis is an attempt to outflank our positions by driving round our defences in the Bir Hacheim area, which have been arranged so that we have an immense mobile perimeter stretching out to the desert far from the outer defence positions proper.

"The British tank and armoured units moved out in a fan to meet the advancing Germans, and the great battle began. The Axis must carry water supplies for at least three days or capture our wells in this area, which are very dry.

"The Axis forces also began attacks at various points in the north which are not marked on the map, apparently in an attempt to hold our northern flajik. Rommel opened these attacks with heavy artillery and dive-bombers, of which he seems to have had heavy reinforcements."