CAPTURES IN IRAQ

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1941, Page 6

CAPTURES IN IRAQ

MANY GUNS AND OTHER MATERIAL DESTRUCTION OF REBEL AIRCRAFT. AERODROME OIL DUMP SET ON FIRE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) RUGBY. May 9. An R.A.F. Middle East communique gives fuller details of the successful operations against the Iraqui rebels at Habbania during the last two days. It is known that, in addition to inflicting heavy casualties, our forces, which included R.A.F. armoured cars, troops and Iraqui levies, captured a large quantity of material, including six serviceable howitzers and a number of other guns and four armoured cars. The rebel air strength has been made negligible. Twenty-five enemy planes have been destroyed or put out of action. One of these was shot down by an R.A.F. fighter when attempting to bomb the cantonment at Habbania. Yesterday Iraqui aerodromes were again successfully bombed. At Sharaban, four Iraqui aircraft were damaged on the ground. At Baquba, three rebel planes were destroyed by fire and a number of others were damaged, while at Hanaidi (Raschid aerodrome), one Savoia, three Bredas and one other aircraft were machinegunned. A later raid on the same aerodrome caused a huge blaze which was undoubtedly from an oil dump.