AIR OFFENSIVE
WIDESPREAD ATTACKS MADE IN MEDITERRANEAN GOOD WORK BY FLEET AIR ARM. SHIPPING & OTHER TARGETS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) RUGBY. September 4. The heavy and widespread air offensive which the R.A.F. is carrying out against enemy shipping and other military objectives in the Middle East was continued on Tuesday night and yesterday. A R.A.F. Middle East communique describing the day’s activities states: “Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm successfully attacked a convoy of five merchant ships, with an escort of seven destroyers, east of Cape Spartivinto, in Sardinia, during the night of September 2. A large merchant vessel was hit by a torpedo and blew up, a column of smoke rising 9000 feet into the air. Another large vessel was hitamidships by a torpedo and two smaller vessels in the convoy were damaged. The attack achieved complete surprise, causing great disorder in the convoy and destroyers apparently fired on their own ships, some of which narrowly avoided collision with each other.
“During the same night aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm dropped a number of bombs on the Sicilian aerodromes of Comiso and Gerbini. One enemy aircraft, going in to land, was attacked from close range and hit, while an enemy three-engined aircraft was shot down in flames over Gerbini. Our aircraft machine-gunned both aerodromes from, a low level. “Heavy bombers of the R.A.F. attacked Derna, Gazala and Bardia during the night of September 2. At Derna bombs fell near barracks and the post office, causing a fire and explosion. “At Gazala fires were started on the south landing ground. At Bardia direct hits were scored on the officers’ quarters. "Aircraft of the. Fleet Air Arm attacked a store and dumps at Gambut, where a number of fires were seen to break out.
“Yesterday at the frontier area, fighter aircraft of the outh African Air Force intercepted a number of enemy fighters, which attempted to attack our forward landing grounds. In air combats which developed, four enemy fighters 'were shot down without loss among our formation.
“None of our aircraft are missing from these operations.”
FLYING FORTRESSES
ATTACKS ON ROTTERDAM AND BREMEN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) RUGBY, September 4. Flying Fortress aircraft bombed the docks at Rotterdam this afternoon. The Bremen docks were also recently bombed by Flying Fortress aircraft.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1941, Page 6
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389AIR OFFENSIVE Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 September 1941, Page 6
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