AIR OPERATIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 April 1941, Page 6

AIR OPERATIONS

IN MEDITERRANEAN AREAS ATTACKS PRESSED HOME BY R.A.F. IN AFRICA & GREECE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, April 22. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “In Cyrenaica, the activity of bomber and fighter aircraft continued undiminished yesterday and considerable damage and a large number of casualties were inflicted on enemy material and personnel. Our bombers made heavy attacks on the aerodromes at Derna and Gazala, where bomb's were observed to burst among enemy aircraft on the ground and, from subsequent fires, it is apparent that a number were destroyed. Enemy motor transport concentrations at Bardia and Capuzzo were bombed and machinegunned and a number of explosions were observed among the vehicles. “On patrol, our fighters encountered a Messerschmitt 110 and- during the engagement which followed the enemy aircraft Avas rammed by one of our fighters and crashed. The R.A.F. fighter, which sustained some damage, safely landed. “Tripoli was again heavily raided during Sunday night and about ten tons of bombs dropped from a low altitude and hits Avere observed on harbour and military buildings near the Karamanli Mole. Many large fires Avere started by the bombing and the fires were again bombed, to prevent their being extinguished. “In the Balkans on Sunday night R.A.F. bombers made heavy and continuous attacks on enemy-occupied V aerodromes in Northern Greece. Many ) fires broke out at aerodromes at Sedes, I where a number of aircraft were des- ' troyed on the ground. At another aerodrome three large explosions Avere caused by bombs and our bombers then machine-gunned aircraft on the ground. At another aerodrome three large explosions were caused by bombs and our bombers then machine-gunned aircraft on the ground. Motor transport columns near Veria also Avere mach-ine-gunned. “Some damage Avas caused to R.A.F. aerodromes yesterday by enemy attacks.

“It is now confirmed that in air combats on Sunday twenty-tAVO German aircraft Avere destroyed, twenty by our fighters and two by ground defences —■ making an increase of six on those claimed yesterday. “Enemy planes raided Malta yesterday, without causing any serious damage or casualties. One civilian Avas killed and two were Avounded. “From all these operations our aircraft returned safely.”