AERIAL AND NAVAL BRILLIANCE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 102, 25 January 1943, Page 5

AERIAL AND NAVAL BRILLIANCE

Campaign Achievements (British Official Wireless.) (Received January 24, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, January 23. Unrelenting and shattering blows were delivered against the enemy by the Allied air forces throughout the DO days of the victorious campaign. During that period, 507 enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air, and our losses were 335. Altogether the campaign in the Middle East cost the German and Italian air forces about 6000 aircraft —4000 in combat and 2000 destroyed on the ground. The part played by the Royal Navy in the campaign was of the greatest importance. A Cairo correspondent comments that, the brilliant victories of the Eighth Army would never have lieen achieved without, the equally brilliant and patient work of the Navy. Before tlie Battle of El Ala mein, parlies were detailed and waiting at. Alexandria for dispatch to iSollum, Bardia, Tobruk, Benghazi and Tri(>oii successively, and minesweepers were ready to clear the captured ports. Petrol and waler were landed almost, before the dust of the enemy’s retreat had settled along the line of march. Invasion craft were used by the Navy ns "maids of all work” for advanced sunnly parties. The Navy’s part, however, was principally as an offensive weapon. Sweeps were made by cruisers and destroyers, and mosquito craft often went inshore to take pnrt in an attack on the retreating enemy, and keep coastal defences in a constant. state of jitters. Decembers bag for the eastern Mediterranean was two destroyers. Id supply ships, one U-boat, one armed merchant cruiser, and one schooner sunk, and two destroyers and 19 supply ships badly damaged.