DAMAGE TO AXIS SHIPPING

Southland Times, Issue 24825, 18 August 1942, Page 5

DAMAGE TO AXIS SHIPPING

Bombing Of Tobruk (8.0.W.) RUGBY, August 16. While there is a lull on land in Egypt the air forces were very busy yesterday and today. They bombed Tobruk, straddling a ship. Two more lighters were sunk and two others were probably sunk, A terrific explosion was observed at Solium and havoc was caused among shipping at Mersa Matruh when heavy bombers started two fires on the jetty. At Tobruk heavy and medium bombers carried out an attack in force, scoring direct hits on a lighter and also hitting a fair-sized ship in the north-west part of the harbour and causing an explosion. Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel’s forces in the Egyptian battle area are beginning to feel the full weight of concentrated and skilfully operated air operations, says the correspondent of The Times in the Western Desert. These recently have been considerably increased and United States fighters and giant bombers are now operating alongside the Royal Air Force. The continual sinking of enemy lighters indicates how desperately Field-Marshal Rommel is trying to build up his Africa Corps for a supreme trial of strength. What percentage of these lighters is sunk is unknown, but probably it is high. Many slip through in the darkness. FieldMarshal Rommel’s need is so great that many are being sent across during daylight and of these only a few reach port RHODES BOMBED FROM THE AHI (P.A.) LONDON, August 16. Rhodes, the chief Italian base in the Dodecanese Islands, has been attacked from the sea and from the air. The assault was made early on . Thursday morning. The pilot and rear gunner of tne leading Royal Air Force bomber attacking Rhodes have given a description of an aerial view of the naval attack. The gunner said that the second pilot though he could detect lightning ahead as they were approaching the target, but it was discovered that it was flashes from the naval guns. The bombardment was terrific. Shells were pouring in at the rate of one a second in continuous bursts. The pilot, who is a squadron leader from Wales, said: “I led the attack on Maritza aerodrome. Coming over the target it seemed that hell had been let loose below. Our ships, which were quite close to the island, had taken the enemy by surprise. The ground defences were poor and ragged. We dropped all our bombs on the aerodrome.”