TACTICS CHANGED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 169, 20 July 1942, Page 3

TACTICS CHANGED

ASSAULT ON MALTA Island's Defences Parry Every Axis Blow British Official Wireless. Rec. 11 a.m. RUGBY, July 19. Having been frustrated in all attempts to reduce Malta's air and naval base, the Axis recently again changed the plan of action. They are now sending only a small number of bombers at a time, with a large fighter escort. That 100 aircraft have been shot down so far this month indicates the measure of failure of these latest tactics. The Luftwaffe set out in April and May to liquidate Malta with the most concentrated bombing of a small target ever known. They ignored their losses and rained thousands of tons of high explosives on a target area about the size of a London suburb, but they failed to achieve their object. The next step was the concentration on convoys in the hope of starving out the island, but that failed. For months the defenders did an almost superhuman job and resisted all attacks. On one occasion Valetta was attacked by 110 bombers and over 100 fighters. Against this armada Malta put up her maximum of seven fighters, which destroyed twice their numbers. After Spitfires arrived to reinforce the Hurricanes, the Luftwaffe in one day lost a quarter of its attacking force. More than 300 bombing sorties were flown against the island in one day. but the enemy met a hotter defence they had expected. R.A.F. fighters were still hopelessly outnumbered, but in May reinforcements were flown to the island from carriers and the Germans learnt a lesson which finally convinced them that mass raiding was hopeless and Malta's outlook turned from defence to attack. The Germans then tried night attacks, but the R.A.F. night fighters came into their own and now the Axis policy has changed again.