MATRUH SHELLED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 171, 22 July 1942, Page 5

MATRUH SHELLED

NAVY'S HOT ATTACK Shells And Bombs Plastered On Targets British Official Wireless. Rec. 2 p.m. RUGBY, July 21. Mersa Matruh, the key Axis supply base, received a very heavy battering from the British Navy in the early hours of yesterday, according to an agency correspondent, when warships swept in and plastered the harbour works and shipping with hundreds of high explosive shells. Buildings were blown sky high and shipping was straddled as the naval guns raked the target for nearly half an hour. Some 400 shells were fired, and deadly accuracy was maintained throughout the bombardment. Time after time the targets were straddled perfectly by high explosives. A small petrol ship was among the vessels in the harbour as the warships opened fire. Naval planes flew off from the naval vessels to add their bombs to the stream of shells flying inshore. Heavy anti-aircraft fire met the planes, but there was little opposition to the warships. In a desperate attempt to "blind" the warships, the Germans fired at the flares as they floated down, but managed to hit only one or two. The squadron commander, before leaving, wirelessed to the warships: "Nice work, but it's a bit hot up here."