AIR ACTIVITIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 August 1941, Page 6

AIR ACTIVITIES

IN IRAN & MEDITERRANEAN WIDESPREAD BRITISH OPERATIONS. SMASHING ATTACKS ON SHIPS & BASES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.25 p.m.) RUGBY, August 2i. A Middle East communique states: “In Iran yesterday, R.A.F. fighters continued to provide protection lot ou forward troops. A Hawker type aircraft was shot down while taking off at Ahwaz and another was attacked on the ground. Our bombers again dropped pamphlets on Ispahan, Shiraz and Kasvin. Another force successiullj bombed gun positions and troop concentrations holding the Paitik I ass. Further reports show that during operations by our fighters on August 2.> iour Iranian aircraft, not three as stated in yesterday’s communique, were destroyed. In bombing attacks on the Ahwaz Aerodrome, direct hits were obtained on a hangar, setting it on lire and destroying at least one Iranian airC 1 “Several targets in Cyrenaica and Tripolitania were attacked on the night of August 25. Tripoli Harbour and dumps near the town were again heavily bombed. A particularly violent explosion was seen to hurl masses of debris high into the air and was followed by a bright fire, and a number of other fires were started near a fort and power station. “At Benghazi, several bombs were dropped on railway sidings and on an enemy encampment. “Gn the same night, aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm bombed the harbour of 'Bardia and obtained direct hits on ships and started fires among petrol dumps. “Bombers of the South African Air Force bombed and heavily damaged concentrations of enemy mechanical transport vehicles near Rasuenna yesterday. “Medium bombers of the R.A.F. attacked enemy ships in the Central Mediterranean yesterday. Direct hits with heavy bombs were obtained on one vessel and another ship was hit and left sinking. “A number of Macchi 200 s, which approached Malta yesterday evening, were engaged by R.A.F. fighters and chased back to Sicily, where three were shot down, one falling in a village. Several other enemy fighters Were badly damaged. “R.A.F. fighters intercepted and shot down a 569 off Famagusta (Cyprus) yesterday. “Enemy positions at Wolccfit and Gondar were bombed and machinegunned yesterday by aircraft of the R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. \ “From all these operations, three of our planes are missing.”