SMASHING ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 August 1940, Page 5

SMASHING ATTACK

FOUR ITALIAN WARSHIPS DESTROYED BY R.A.F.

ON COAST OF LIBYA

VESSELS CAUGHT AT ANCHOR. ALL PLANES RETURN SAFELY. ) By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. August 23. The destruction of four Italian warships by the R.A.F. in the Mediterranean is announced in the latest air communique from Cairo.

This states that the attack was made on Italian warships at anchor off Derna in Libya. Direct hits were made on two sunmarmes, a destroyer and a submarine depot ship.

The attacking aircraft encountered heavy fire, but all of them returned safely. R.A.F. bombers also attacked landing grounds at Derna. motorised concentrations, a repair depot and shipping. Many bombs fell among aircraft on the ground and among vehicles, causing casualties.

DIRECT HITS IN LOW-FLYING ASSAULT PLANES DEFY HEAVY GUNFIRE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, August 23. A R.A.F. communique, issued in Cairo, states: "Our aircraft made a low-flying attack on enemy warships anchored in the Bomba roadstead, obtaining direct hits, which destroyed two submarines, one destroyer and a submarine depot ship. All our aircraft returned safely. The attacking aircraft were fired on by heavy anti-aircraft guns, pompoms and multiple machine-guns. MANY RAIDSON ENEMY LAND BASES AND TRANSPORT. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.23 a.m.) RUGBY, August 23. A R.A.F. Cairo communique states: “Our bombers attacked the landing ground at Derna, as well as mechanical transport concentrations, a repair depot and shipping. Many bombs exploded among aircraft and mechanical transport vehicles, causing considerable damage. We suffered no casualties.

“In Italian Somaliland. Mogadishu aerodrome was subjected to a series of raids by bombers of the South African Air Force. Direct hits were registered on transport concentrated in the vicinity of administrative buildings, which were subsequently seen to be on fire. Bombs were also dropped on hangars and other buildings, and a wireless telegraphy station and barracks and three enemy aircraft are believed to have been badly damaged. All our machines returned safely. ,

“Numerous reconnaissances were carried out over the Kenya-Italian Somaliland frontier. In a raid on Assab, naval barracks were bombed.”

ITALIAN CLAIMS (Received This Day. 11.0 a.m.) ROME, August 23. A communique states: "The torpedoboat which sank a submarine to which an earlier communique referred was the Papa. The enemy submarine fired, three torpedoes at the Papa without hitting her. The Papa darted towards the submarine with the idea of ramming her and simultaneously dropped numerous depth charges. The submarine was irreparably damaged, turned keel upwards and then sank. “Italian air formations again bombed Alexandria. Other formations intensely bombarded an enemy convoy travelling in the eastern Mediterranean under the escort of two destroyers. All the Italian planes returned from these operations. “Fruitless and sporadic enemy air raids were carried out in Northern Africa. Eoma and Derna were attacked. One person was killed and five were wounded. Raids occurred in East Africa. Five Askari troops and five native civilians were wounded. At Mogadishu two sheds containing four lorries were hit. The island of Harmil, near Massawa was also bombed. No damage was done.”