MANY ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1941, Page 6

MANY ATTACKS

MABE BY R.A,F. & FLEET AIR ARM OPERATIONS IN MIDDLE EAST. ENEMY CONVOY SUFFERS HEAVILY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Dav. 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY, June 27. A R.A.F. Cairo communique states: "The R.A.F. and the Fleet Air Arm carried out an attack yesterday on a convoy consisting of a number of merchant vessels each of 20.000 tons, off the south coast of Italy. At least two ships were hit by torpedoes and one was hit amidships by a heavy bomb. Further results were not observed owing to darkness.

“In Syria, a number of attacks were made on aerodromes occupied by hostile forces. At Rayak, four aircraft were destroyed by machine-gun fire on the ground and a number of others were damaged. At Deir Ez Zor, three Potez fighters were shot up on the ground and bombs were dropped on the aerodrome buildings. At Homs, aircraft of a R.A.F. squadron destroyed four Moraine fighters, damaged a number of others, and blew up petrol dumps and rolling stock on sidings at Tel Kalakaj. Direct hits were made on the dumps, resulting in columns of smoke which rose to more than 1000 feet. | “In Cyrenaica, a heavy attack was made on the landing ground at Gazala. Much damage was done to dispersed aircraft, six being destroyed. During this operation our fighters shot down four Messerschmitt fighters and one Junkers bomber and damaged a number of pther Messerschmitts. “From these operations, five of our aircraft are missing.”