COSTLY VENTURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1941, Page 5

COSTLY VENTURE

ITALIAN PLANES ROUTED IN LIBYA I SOUTH AFRICANS BAG FIVE. PILOT’S STORY OF FIGHT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, September 5. Behind a short but graphic announcement in last night’s R.A.F. communique that five Italian fighters had been shot down and others damaged in a Middle East air battle over the Egyptian frontier lies a thrilling story of successes achieved by a South African fighter squadron. It was the squadron’s best day since it came to the Western Desert. The Italian fighters attempted to ground strafe a forward' aerodrome and also tried to shoot up troops bathing in the sea, but they paid dearly for their temerity. The raiders did little damage but five Italian aircraft are now wrecks and five Italian pilots dead. It was a costly venture. Seventeen or eighteen Italian machines took part in the raid and the South Africans were up in the air after them within a minute and a half. One pilot 1 from Johannesburg said: “The Italians were in formation when we met them and they tried frantically to break off, so in a matter of seconds the fight was scattered over a wide area. I got two on my tail but two of my fellow pilots came and helped me deal with them. I saw one going out to sea and got after him. I gave him a burst and down he went, crashing into the water. The fight, which went on for about twenty minutes, took place between a thousand two thousand feet, so our troops had a grandstand view of what was going on. They cheered wildly as they saw three Italian aircraft come spinning to the ground.” The Italian force consisted of Gso’s and Macchi C2oo’s and this was the first occasion on which the Tomahawks of the South African Squadron had had an opportunity of a stand-up fight with Italian fighters. All the South Africans returned safely and the distinction of shooting down the Italians went to two pilots from Capetown and other pilots from Johannesburg. Durban and East London.

IN TOBRUK AREA HEAVY DUSTSTORM LIMITS ACTIVITY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.15 a.m.) RUGBY, September 5. A Cairo communique, states: “A heavy duststorm limited our patrol activity in the Tobruk area. “There is nothing to report from the frontier area.”