BENGHAZI SHELLED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 May 1941, Page 5

BENGHAZI SHELLED

TWO ENEMY SUPPLY VESSELS DESTROYED ITALIAN AIR ATTACK REPELLED. NO DAMAGE SUSTAINED BY BRITISH SHIPS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 10. An Admiralty communique states: “During the early hours of Thursday morning our naval forces carried out an attack on the harbour at Benghazi, and hits were observed on enemy shipping. Two enemy supply ships were intercepted while approaching the harbour and were destroyed. One was of 3000 tons and the other was an ammunition ship of between 5000 and 6000 tons. It was blown to bits.” Another Admiralty communique states; "During operations in the western Mediterranean German and Italian aircraft made repeated attacks on out naval forces. These attacks continued throughout the afternoon and evening of Thursday. No damage was sustained by any of our ships." The communique on the enemy air attack continues: "As each attack developed it was intercepted and broken up by naval lighters and subsequently driven off by them and by the antiaircraft guns of the squadron. One of our fighters is missing and another was lost, but the crew was saved. "The enemy attacks were made by torpedo-bomber aircraft, by high-level bombers escorted by fighters, and by dive-bombers escorted by fighters. In one case a formation of 25 dive-bomb-ers escorted by Messerschmitt 110’s was intercepted and brilliantly broken up and driven off by the naval fighters before the attack could materialise. “The following losses were inflicted upon the enemy: Three torpedo-bomb-ers and one 579 were destroyed bi' anti-aircraft fire of the squadron, and

two torpedo-bombers were severely damaged. Naval fighters shot down one Junkers 87 and two S79's and severely damaged oiie Junkers 87, one Messerschmitt 110 and one CR42. In addition to these casualties damage is known to have been inflicted on other enemy aircraft."