MALTA PRICKS AXIS HARD
PLANES SENT OUT ON OFFENSIVE MUCH MATERIAL DAMAGE DONE (Rec. 10.15 a.m.) Rugby, Aug. 30. After months of heroic defence in the face of constant pounding by enemy aircraft, Malta has turned the tables on the Axis and is proving more of a troublesome thorn in her side than ever. In 24 hours the island has destroyed 14 enemy aircraft for certain and done much material damage to the Axis. On Wednesday night, says the Air Ministry News Service, the enemy sent over a small number of bombers, but they did no military damage and two of them were shot down and another probably destroyed. That night R.A.F. fighters attacked a seaplane base in Sicily. A seaplane was shot down and a motor vessel shot up. The enemy attempted a high-flying fighter sweep near Malta on Thursday morning but Spitfires met and dispersed them and damaged two. That afternoon Spitfires swarmed across the Sicilian coast at almost ground-level, raking with cannon and machine-guns, hangars, huts, barracks, stores, buildings and railway watertanks. 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. 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 medium-sized 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 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. —B.O. W.
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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 31 August 1942, Page 5
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336MALTA PRICKS AXIS HARD Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 31 August 1942, Page 5
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