VIGOROUS AIR ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 May 1941, Page 5

VIGOROUS AIR ACTION

MUCH DAMAGE TO ENEMY BASES & TRANSPORT IN LIBYA & ABYSSINIA. . MANY FIRES & EXPLOSIONS AT AERODROMES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.23 a.m.) RUGBY. May 5. British fighter successes against enemy aircraft raiding Crete are recorded'in an R.A.F. Middle East communique which states: "During the night of May 3. R.A.F. bombers raided the Benina aerodrome, near Benghazi, causing a number of fires and explosions. The Derna aerodrome was also bombed, with similar results. Enemy motor transport and mechanised units, some of which were carrying troops, were both bombed and machine-gunned in the Maraua area. A number of motor transport vehicles were destroyed and others were damaged and casualties inflicted on troops. Other bombers attacked military headquarters southeast of Tobruk, causing four large fires. “Enemy aircraft raiding Crete were intercepted by fighters and four of the enemy were shot down and others damaged. Anti-aircraft guns destroyed further aircraft and damaged others. "The Italian headquarters in Abyssinia were machine-gunned by South African Air Force fighters and a vigorous attack was made on stores, dumps, motor transport, and troops throughout the day between Falage Pass and the Dessie road. It is estimated that over 100 motor transport vehicles were severely damaged and stores and dumps were repeatedly hit by bombs. “From all these operations our planes have returned safely, with, the exception of two." ANZACS FROM GREECE READY TO MEET GERMANS AT ODDS. WITH REASONABLE AIR PROTECTION. CAIRO, May 4. “The Hun is tougher than the Italian, but I would be happy to fight against him again at odds of two or three to one if I had reasonable protection against air attack." This opinion, expressed by a sergeant with the Anzacs who fought in Greece against the Germans, is generally shared by the Australians and New Zealanders. Dive-bombers and dive-machine-gun-ning undoubtedly unnerved the troops in the early stages, but before the campaign finished they realised it was more noisy than destructive. Low-fly-ing enemy aircraft turned sharply away from concentrated machine-gun and rifle fire.