QUICK TIME RAID

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 285, 31 August 1942, Page 6

QUICK TIME RAID

Sortie Against Enemy In Egypt

FIERCE ARTILLERY BARRAGE

(N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent.) WESTERN DESERT, August 29.

British raiding troops struck at the enemy last night. In a lightning attack the raiding party Invaded the enemy’s lines with powerful artillery support and inflicted casualties. Our casualties were very light.

Last night’s attack took place in the short time between the fall of darkness and the rising of the moon. The artillery’s barrage made an timaziug spectacle. The sky behind our forward positions was lighted to an incredible brilliance by flash upon flash of gunfire, while opposite, •where the shells were falling, it was like a violently erupting volcano. The enemy was quick to retaliate and blazed away without pause for a full hour. Flares shot up from the enemy’s lines and the vicious chatter of automatic Weapons broke out from all directions.

Our troops met with stubborn resistance from the Germans in their weapon pits, but before their withdrawal they had silenced a number of these and demolished the machinegun posts. The artillery during this time shelled the enemy's positions at greater depth. The whole operation was carried out in quick time, with every phase exact to the minute.

Probably as a reprisal for Wednesday morning’s successful attack, the enemy on Thursday afternoon subjected a section of our forward Hues to intense artillery fire lasting about 50 minutes. Despite the severity of the pounding, there were no casualties, the troops remaining in the comparative security of the slit trenches. “They threw over everything they had and did not hit a man,” said an officer who was there. Guns of all calibres appear to have been used, some of them very heavy. Our artillery replied by shelling the enemy gun positions.

ENEMY CASUALTIES New Zealander’s Raid

(Received August 30, 11.15 p.m.) CAIRO, August 29.

It is believed that the New Zealanders in their raid against the Italians earlier this week killed or wounded 250 enemy troops. The New Zealanders crept forward under cover of a heavy artillery barrage, which opened a way through the enemy minefield and wire, and then stormed the enemy’s slit trenches.

FAMOUS SQUADRON

Three New Zealanders

Flying In Desert

(Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) DESERT LANDING GROUND, August 26.

Three New Zealanders, two of them veterans of fighter sweeps over France, are now fixing Spitfires over the Western Desert in the famous County of London squadron. One of them, who commands a flight in the squadron, has already shot down two Junkers SS’s in desert operations. All three have taken part in many raids over the El Alamein line.

Flight Lieutenant N. R. B. Ingram, Dunedin, flew in about 40 fighter sweeps and bomber escorts over France, and was also on convoy patrols off the English coast before he joined the County of London Squadron on its way to Malta. After about two months on the island fortress, he flew to the .Western Desert, where his successes against two German reconnaissance planes brought his total score to five destroyed and two or three damaged probables. Both Junkers SB's, which he attacked at about 25,000 feet, were reported by the Army shot down behind the El Alamein line before he returned to his landing ground. He has a total of about 650 flying hours, including 200 on operations. Farmer from Manawatu. Flying with Ingram is Pilot Officer D. J. Freeklington, Manawatu, a farmer, who was one of the original members of the New Zealand Spitfire squadron in England. Freeklington joined the R.A.F. in May, 1940, and finished his training in time to be given a Manawatu Spitfire in the newly-formed squadron. In his first raids across the Channel, he flew behind Wing Commander Wells, D.S.Oq D.F.IA and bar, who now commands the New Zealand squadron. Between June and September last year, Freeklington was in 32 sweep, and bomber escorts over France, flying in every operation the squadron made in six weeks. He was commissioned and posted to Aden before beginning operational flying again early this year. Ilis experience with Spitfires gained him a place in the County of London Squadron—the old peacetime squadron which fought through the Battle of Britain. The third New Zealander is the wellknown ’Wellington racing cyclist, Sergeant Pilot A. 11. Sowerby, Johnsonville. Sowerby left 'England in April to begin his operational flying with the squadron. During his five months’ training in Canada he was one of the first New Zealand pilots to visit New York and Ottawa. The lull on the- front and. the decrease in enemy air activity have given him little opportunity to open his.score. The greatest sight he has seen in the Middle East, says Sowerby, was the arrival of the New Zealand trriops in the desert during the time the squadron was moving back two months ago. Like most R.A.F. fighter squadrons in the desert, the County of London Squadron includes men from all the Dominions as well as South America and one American from Texas, who joined up in Canada.

BOMBS ON TOBRUK Axis Shipping Set On Fire (British Official Wireless!) RUGBY, August 29. A most successful raid on Tobruk was made on Friday night by R.A.F, medium and heavy bombers, according to a Cairo message. Three, and possibly four, hits were scored on ships along the main jetty and two ships were set on fire. Bombs burst all along the port, causing large fires which were visible from Solium. Other bombs fell on the waterfront near naval fuel installations. One bomber came down and machinegunned vehicles on the road. Another attacked Solium. Combined British and United States and naval air arm forces attacked a landing ground in the El Dalia urea. There was a violent explosion and several small fires. In lhe battle area, R.A.F. and naval bombers made a raid in force, Bombs burst among the transports* and tanks, on four of which direct hits were made.

A Middle East communique states: “On Thursday night our patrols were active on the whole front. Enemy patrols and working parties were engaged and harassed. There were artillery exchanges in one sector. Yesterday there was nothing to report from our land forces. Our fighter-bombers continued to attack enemy vehicles in the central sector, and there was increased enemy air activity. A Junkers was shot down by our lighters near Alexandria last night.”

CAPTURED AT TOBRUK

Admiral Cowan’s Amazing Escape From Death

(British Official Wireless.) . RUGBY, August 29.

The almost incredible escape from death in the Western Desert of the 71-year-old Admiral, Sir Walter Cowan, is described in a letter to “The Tunes”' from Major-General Sir liereward Wake. Admiral Cowan had been with an Indian cavalry brigade in the desert lighting for some months when he was taken prisoner before the fall of Tobruk. Bart of the brigade was holding tin unprepared position when they were overrun by a large force of the enemy, including many tanks. Admiral Cowan hid in a Bren gnu carrier and was not noticed at. first, but a second wave came along and four of the crew of an armoured car caine toward the carrier. Admiral Cowan emptied his revolver at them, knocking one over. The three others ran liaek to their car and fired several burets of .machinegun fire at Sir "Walter, calling on him to surrender. He pointed to' the empty revolver at his side ami was taken prisoner.

AXIS TANKER SUNK British Submarines Score

In Mediterranean (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 29.

Further successes by British submarines in the Mediterranean are announced by the Admiralty. One attacked a convoy consisting of two large supply ships escorted by three destroyers. The results were not observed, but it is considered that both supply ships were hit. Another submarine sank a tanker, and a third sank a large supply ship. Another large supply ship was hit by a torpedo from a fourth submarine.