AXIS SHIPS HIT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20877, 1 September 1942, Page 3

AXIS SHIPS HIT

ATTACKS BY AIR MIDDLE EAST ZONE DESERT PATROLS ACTIVE (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (11.30 a.m.) RUGBY. Aug. 31. A communique issued in Cairo reports that our patrols engaged enemy working parties on Saturday night. Yesterday there was nothing to report from the land forces. On Saturday night our medium bombers, light bombers, and naval aircraft continued their raids on the battle area and Tobruk. The same night our bombers and torpedo-carrying aircraft successfully attacked shipping off the Cyrenaican coast. Three ships were hit, two being left ablaze. In combats over the Alamein area yesterday, our fighters destroyed at least three Messerschmitts and damaged others. An enemy tanker in the Mediterranean was left blazing from stem to stern. Two enemy planes were destroyed last night during small-scale activity over our base landing grounds. American medium and heavy bombers participated in Saturday night’s raid on Tobruk. They also started several fires and observed large explosions on an enemy landing ■ground- 'eastward -■ of *Mersa Matru'h Anti-aircraft fire. was moderate and there were no night lighters. Ail our planes returned safely. The destroyers bombardment of El Daba on Saturday night lasted for three-quarters of an hour, in which many tons of high explosives were accurately lobbed in the target area. The destroyers also sank a torpedoboat.

More than 50 Italian and German dive-bombers attacked one destroyer while it was returning to its base. Hundreds of bombs were dropped and the decks were repeatedly machinegunned. Even the German shore batteries joined in the attack, which was unparalleled since the assault on the Illustrious.