ITALY’S AIR LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1940, Page 5

ITALY’S AIR LOSSES

IN BRITAIN & OTHER THEATRES HEAVY & .DISPROPORTIONATE. SUCCESSFUL R.A.F. ATTACKS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 7. The balance-sheet of the ItalianBritish air war to date shows that while the Royal Air Force lost no machines on two occasions on which Italian raiders have visited Britain, the Italians lost 13 out of 25 on November 11, and seven out of 20 on November 23, apart from others known to have been severely damaged, and probably lost. Over Africa and Albania, Italy has lost at least 308 aircraft since entering the war. The British losses have been 49 over Africa and six over Albania. The figures do not include the Fleet Air Arm’s successes and losses.

HEAVY DAMAGE DONE TO AIR BASE NEAR TRIPOLI. A heavy attack was made by the R.A.F. on Saturday night on an Italian air base near Tripoli, in Libya, the 8.8. C. reports. Very heavy damage was done. At least eight Italian planes were set on fire and destroyed and many more suffered damage. All the British planes returned. RED SEA RAIDS DESTRUCTION AT ASSAB. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 7. A Royal Air Force communique at Cairo states: “Very bad weather restricted operations over the Western Desert. “We again raided Assab in East Africa and bombed a large motor transport concentration nearby. Photographs revealed considerable damage in Assab from the raids of November 24 and 25. Two dumps were destroyed. “South African planes on Thursday directly hit targets at Neghelli, Moyale and Meca.” A military communique states that the situation on all fronts is unchanged.

AMERICAN AID PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S, PLEDGE. \ WASHINGTON, December 7. President Roosevelt, exchanging telegrams with the Greek King, pledged United States support to a “country so valiantly defending itself.” “It is the United States’ settled policy to extend aid to those Governments and peoples defending themselves against aggression,” he said. King George replied expressing appreciation of the “warm sympathy and keen interest of a great nation.” RAID ON BURA ITALIANS LOSE TWO BOMBERS. OUT OF ATTACKING FORCE OF THREE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.10 a.m.) RUGBY, December 8. It is now confirmed that one of the two Italian aircraft, reported to have been damaged in an encounter with fighters over Bura on November 11, was forced to land sixty miles from Bura. One of the crew was killed and the remaining four were captured. It it recalled that in these encounters a Caproni aircraft was shot down in flames, so that of the three Italian bombers attempting to raid Bura, only one escaped. Various reconnaissances have been carried out over enemy territory on all fronts.