MUCH DAMAGE DONE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 September 1941, Page 6

MUCH DAMAGE DONE

BY EMPIRE AIR FORCES IN MEDITERRANEAN & NORTH AFRICA. TOLL TAKEN OF ENEMY SHIPPING. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.35 a.m.) ’ RUGBY, August 31. Air attacks on enemy shipping are the most important feature of the latest: R.A.F. Middle East communique, which states: "Bomber aircraft of the R.A.F. carried out a heavy raid on Tripoli during the night of August 29. Some 25 tons of bombs were dropped and at tlie end of the bombing the whole of the Spanish Quay was on fire, with great clouds of smoke, apparently from an oil store, rising into the air. Two ships, one of 8 000 tons and the other of 5,000 tons, were hit and set on fire. One of these vessels was later - seen to be ablaze from stem to stern. ‘ Some time later, a small ship exploded. Flits were also scored on another ‘ medium-sized ship, which subsequently started burning. Three fires broke out on the Karamanli Mole, and from one of them flames which were visible from a great distance, rose hundreds of feet into the air. The fires spread along the mole to a petrol depot, where an explosion took place, followed by another extensive fire. Other small fires were observed on the quayside and loading wharves. A reconnaissance on the following day showed that a merchantman of 8,000 tons, outside the harbour, was on fire from stern to funnel, and two other ships, of 5,000 tons each, in the harbour. one burnt out and another alight at two points. The fires at the base of the Karamanli Mole were still burning. “At Benghazi, a low-level attack was made on a ship at the Juliana Mole and a cloud of white smoke was seen after the attack. "Aircraft concentrated on Berka Aerodrome were machine-gunned. "Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm bombed store dumps north of Bardia and several fires were started. "During the night of August 29, aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm bombed Gerbini Aerodrome and carried out a machine-gunning attack. Other aircraft of the Fleet Ah’ Arm located a merchant ship of 8,000 tons, escorted by destroyers, off Sicily and attacked the convoy. The merchant ship is believed to have been hit by a torpedo. “Yesterday Blenheim aircraft of the R.A.F. bombed power houses and munition factories at Licata and obtained a number of direct hits on each target. Clouds of smoke were seen and debris was thrown high into the air. “Considerable damage was done when aircraft of the R.A.F. and the South African Air Force bombed and machine-gunned enemy fortified positions at Debarech, on August 29, and again yesterday, direct hits being observed on forts, huts and trenches. "From all these operations, one of our aircraft is missing.”