NIGHT OFFENSIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 August 1941, Page 6

NIGHT OFFENSIVE

FLEET AIR ARM ATTACK ON SARDINIA SCENE ON THE ARK ROYAL. DEPARTURE OF THE BRITISH BOMBERS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, August 5. Describing the Mediterranean Fleet’s attack on Sardinian ports, an agency correspondent on board H.M.S. Ark Royal states: “Below me the flight deck, wider than an arterial road, is scarcely discernible. It is 3 a.m. and the night air is sounding with the hum of aeroplane engines. Their bomb racks are full, for the Gibraltar force of Admiral Somerville is on the offensive. “In fact the offensive has already begun, for three-quarters of an hour ago there was a luminous reflection in the sky, far away over the coast of North Sardinia. It came from star shells fired by destroyers, sent in to bombard the seaplane base of Alghero and the shipping in the harbour there. Now our bombers are to follow and four tons of bombs, beneath their wings, are destined for the Alghero aerodrome. The zero hour is near and the crews were already in the aircraft a few minutes ago, wearing flying suits and life-belts. The pilots and observers, under carefully shaded lights in the air intelligence department, were receiving final instructions for the raid. The hum of engines . increases with a. shattering crescendo and suddenly the flight deck is picked out in tiny points of light. They match the stars in the dark sky. Cunningly devised, they cast no radiance to the sky to advertise our presence to possible lurking U-boats, but give a minimum guiding light for a safe take-off. The deck vibrates as the first bomber thunders forward and its shadow outline seems terribly menacing. As it passes the bridge, the orange glow of its exhaust illuminates a few feet of fuselage and a flurry of red sparks swirl madly in the wind before they vanish. The centre row of the safety lights disappears for an instant and. we know the bomber is in the air. Within a few-minutes all are away.”