MANY RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1941, Page 5

MANY RAIDS

.MADE BV BRITISH AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA I LOSS AND DAMAGE INFLICTED ON ENEMY.. I ONE OF OUR BOMBERS MISSING. i British Official Wireless.! . (Received This Dav, 11.42 a.tn.) RUGBY. February 19. A R.A F. Middle East communique j states: “Aerodromes in the Dodecanese ; Islands were raided by R.A.F. bombers on the nights of February' 16 and 17. j Continued support has been giv'en to ! our troops on various fronts in Italian i Africa. Several raids were carried out ' on Keren and military objectives near- ‘ by. Fighters of the South African Air j Force, whole on offensive patrols, desj troyed two S79s. Aircraft on the ■ ground at Ksknle were machine-gun-i ned and one bomber was seen to be i burning. Enemy fighters intercepted ■ the British aircrcaft but were driven ! oil. Bomber squadrons of the South I African Air Force have been very ac- [ live over Italian Somaliland during the I last few days. Heavy bombs were drop- ; ped on the Italian headquarters and [stores near Bardera and other aircraft j attacked defence positions north of j Jelib, on the Juba River. Aircraft and I a barracks at Escia and Bardera and a ! camp at Dinsor were also raider. ' "Enemy aircraft carried out raids on ■ Benghazi on February 16 and 18. One enem.v aircraft was shot down by a squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force and several others were so badly damaged that it is unlikely they reached their base One other German bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft lire "From all operations under review, the British aircraft returned safely, with the exception of one bomber which so far has failed to return to its base.” MANY PRISONERS TAKEN BY ABYSSINIANS ‘BritUh Oftiehd k (Received This Day, If) a.m3 RUGBY. February 19. A Cairo General Headquarters communique states: "In Abyssinia the patriot operations in the Gojjatn district continues to develop satisfactorily. Enjabers has been captured with many prisoners, while the Italian post of Piccolo Abbai has also been evacuated and occupied. "In Italian Somaliland operations on the line of the Juba River are progressing "On other fronts there is no change in the situation.”