EFFECTIVE BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 July 1941, Page 6

EFFECTIVE BLOWS

STRUCK BY AIR FORCE IN MIDDLE EAST AGAINST SHIPPING & OTHER TARGETS. SEA & LAND BASES ATTACKED LONDON. July 8. Considerable damage and casualties were inflicted on the enemy in Libya yesterday. Six enemy aircraft were set on fire on the ground and at least one was shot down. A night raid was made on shipping and other objectives in Tripoli, fires were started at Benghazi and landing grounds and other military targets were attacked. Five British planes are reported missing from all operations in the Middle East. RAID ON ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA, July 7. An Egyptian communique states that raiders last night killed two persons and injured 14. Slight damage was caused. MUCH DAMAGE DONE IN LIBYA AND SYRIA. ENEMY RAIDS ON MALTA & CYPRUS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.8 a.m.) RUGBY. July 8. A communique issued by R.A.F. headquarters in the Middle East states: “In air operations over Libya yesterday fighter aircraft of the R.A.F. and the. South African Air Force inflicted considerable damage and casualties on enemy material and personnel. “At Bambut six enemy aircraft were set on fire on the ground and enemy camps in the vicinity were heavily machine-gunned. During the operations one G. 50 was shot down and several other German and Italian aircraft were severely damaged. R.A.F. bombers were active during Sunday night, attacking enemy aerodromes and. harbours. Bombs were dropped on a merchant vessel alongside a mole at Tripoli ! and direct hits were obtained on engine sheds, causing large fires and violent explosions. Another attack was made on Benghazi, where about twenty fires were started, accompanied by explosions. Raids were also made on landing grounds at Derna, Martuba and Gazala and a successful attack was carried out on an enemy camp and other military targets at Bardia. “In Syria last night heavy bombers ■attacked the railway station at Aleppo, where bombs were seen to explode on the lines and station buildings. At Beirut, direct hits were made on fuel tanks and large fires followed. Both these targets were also attacked on the previous night. A low-flying attack was made on Vichy flying-boats off the Syrian coast yesterday and a number of them were seriously damaged. Our aircraft also attacked the aerodrome at Baalbek and put heavy bursts into a number of Vichy Leo 455. Heavy explosions and large fires were also caused in a petrol dump. At Talia two largo Vichy aircraft on the ground and hangars on the aerodrome were machine-, gunned. Another Vichy aircraft was intercepted off the coast and so severely damaged that it is unlikely to have regained its base. “A number of enemy aircraft flew over Malta during Sunday night and dropped bombs, which caused a number of civilian casualties. While the raid was in progress, one enemy aircraft was shot down in flames by a patrolling fighter. “A number of Junkers 88s raided Nicosia, in Cyprus, yesterday and dropped several bombs. A few civilians were killed or wounded. “From these operations five of our 'aircraft have not returned.”