SMASHING BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 January 1941, Page 5

SMASHING BLOWS

STRUCK BY ROYAL AIR FORCE * AT ITALIANS IN AFRICA & ALBANIA. MANY ENEMY AIRCRAFT DESTROYED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m,) RUGBY. January 9. The delivery of further smashing blows yesterday against the Italian Air Force in Libya is revealed in an R.A.F. Middle East communique. Gazala. Martuba, Tmimi and Benina were all heavily attacked. In addition. Benghazi and Tobruk were raided. At Martuba. our aircraft carried out low-flying attacks on eleven S79's and several CR42's on the ground. Two S79's were set on fire and others were badly damaged. Others were seen to have been already damaged. Two S79's on the ground at Gazala were also attacked, one being severely damaged and the other seen to bo already unserviceable. At Benina, about a hundred enemy aircraft on the ground were heavily bombed. Several were destroyed and others badly damaged. Seven S97's on the Tmimi landing ground were seen tv be burnt out.

A particularly heavy raid was made on Benghazi, during which four or five ships received direct hits and a number of fires were started in warehouses. Enemy convoys north-west of Giarabub were attacked and considerable damage was caused. On January 7. a successful raid was made on military stores and buildings at Elbasan, but flying conditions were extremely bad. Snow, sleet and rain made the observation of results diffi-

cult. but high explosive and incendiary bombs were seen to hit several buildings and a number of fires were

started. On the nights of January G and 7. Massawa was raided. A power station and submarine base wen? selected for special attack. A number of high explosive bombs fell on the submarine base, starting a fire. From all these operations Ml out pianos returned safely.