Malta Hits Back at Axis

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 208, 1 September 1942, Page 4

Malta Hits Back at Axis

TARGETS IN SICILY AND AT SEA. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Aug. 30. After months of heroic defence in the face of constant pounding by enemy aircraft, Malta has turned tne tables on the Axis and is proving more of a troublesome thorn in its side than ever. In twenty-four hours the island has destroyed 11 enemy aircraft for certain and done much material damage to the Axis. On Wednesday right, says the Air Ministry news sendee, the enemy sent over a small number of bombers. They did no military damage, and two of them were shot down and another probably destroyed. On the same night R.A.F. lighters attacked a seaplane base in Sicily. A seaplane was shot down and a motor vessel shot up. The enemy attempted a higli-fly*ug fighter sweep near Malta on Thursday morning, but Spitfires met and dispersed them and damaged two. That afternoon, Spitfires swarmed across the Sicilian coast almost at ground level, raking with their cannon and machineguns hangars, huts, barracks, stores, buildings, and railway water tanks. Fitters working in Italian aircraft were killed and soldiers were shot up. Hostile aircraft were attacked in the air and in the act of taking off. The aerodromes were enveloped in dense smoke when the aircraft left, after having destroyed four bombers and two fighters in the air and three bombers and one fighter on the ground. Many others were probably destroyed or damaged. On the way home three schooners were shot up. At dusk an Axis convoy was attacked with torpedoes and bombs. A mediumsized merchant vessel was hit squarely amidships and sunk, and an escorting destroyer was shot up and left smoking. An Italian bomber which attempted to interfere was shot up down and a fighter damaged. Bombers made a second attack on Sicily on Thursday night and scored hits on two aerodromes, and hangars, cars, and a large building with all its lights on were shot up. During the whole of these activities Malta lost only three fighters.