ENEMY FARES BADLY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 January 1941, Page 5

ENEMY FARES BADLY

IN AIR BOMBARDMENT OF MALTA TEN GERMAN & ITALIAN PLANES SHOT DOWN. DAMAGE TO CIVILIAN ! PROPERTY. German and Lilian planes—Junkers 87 and 38 dive bombers and escorting Caproni fighters—made an attack on Malta, the 8.8. C. reports. Ten of the attacking planes were shot down—five by British fighters and five by anti-aircraft guns. Little damage was done to military installations on the island, but there was considerable damage to civilian property. It is observed that enemy claims in regard to this raid—amongst them a claim that the aircraft-carrier Illustrious was attacked successfully—should be read as in the category of earlier enemy reports designed to extract information from the Admiralty. ITALIAN CLAIM ILLUSTRIOUS "HIT AGAIN." (Received This Dav, 11.5 a.m.) ROME. January 17. A communique announces that German bombers carried out an intense bombardment of the naval base at Malta. Bombs, it is added, again hit the aircraft-carried Illustrious and extensively damaged a cruiser and another ship and effectively pounded the arsenal and port installations. EMPIRE AIRMEN ANOTHER CONTINGENT REACHES BRITAIN. DRAWN FROM NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA. Another contingent of airmen trained under the Empire scheme has reached Britain, the 8.8. C. reports. They are New Zealand and Australian pilots, observers, gunners and mechanics. They told an interviewer that there were fewer signs of damage than they had expected in their port of arrival and that their ufhole desire was to get into the air against the enemy as soon as possible. “SLIGHT DAMAGE” REPORTED BY GERMANS. 'Received This Dav, 11 5 a inD BERLIN, January 17. A communique dues not mention the British raid on Wilhelmshaven, but says enemy planes dropped a tew incendiary bombs and explosives on German territory and caused slight damage to buildings.