HEAVY CASUALTIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1941, Page 5

HEAVY CASUALTIES

INFLICTED ON ENEMY R.A.F. ATTACKS IN AFRICA. DESTRUCTION OF MOTOR TRANSPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.25 p.m.) RUGBY, May 1. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Heavy casualties were inflicted on enemy troops and motor transport in Cyrenaica yesterday. In the Gambut area a particularly severe attack was carried out by a formation of R.A.F. fighters on concentrations of enemy motor transport. At least 100 vehicles, 30 of which contained troops, were hit and damaged by machine-gun fire and 20 burst into flames. One of our fighters intercepted four Messerschmitts 110, which were machine-gun-ning troops near Sofaifi, and severely damaged two. Our fighters also shot down a Heinkel 125 near Gambut. “In Abyssinia yesterday and on the previous, day the R.A.F. and the South African Air Force machine-gunned enemy motor transport near Assab and in the Sciascimana area. Considerable damage and casualties were caused. An enemy camp, north of Maji, also was bombed and machine-gunned. "Enemy aircraft raided Malta yesterday and the previous night, causing some damage to R.A.F. property and inflicting a few casualties. One Junkers 88, which had already been damaged by anti-aircraft fire, was shot down by R.A.F. fighters. Another was brought down by anti-aicraft guns and a number of others were damaged. “Numerous flights were carried out by R.A.F. fighters protecting final, convoys in the evacuation of our troops from. Greece.

“From all the above operations, three of our planes are missing.”