MANY ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1941, Page 6

MANY ATTACKS

DETAILS OF MEDITERRANEAN OPERATIONS ITALIAN PLANES SUFFER. VARIOUS ENEMY TARGETS BOMBED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY, September 5. The destruction of an enemy destroyer outside Tripoli harbour and widespread air operations in other parts of the Mediterranean are announced in a R.A.F. Middle East communique, which states: “A strong force of Italian lighters approached Malta yesterday morning, and were intercepted by our fighters, which shot down six Macchi 200's and badly damaged a number of others. Another raiding aircraft was damaged by gunfire. In the afternoon a further force of Macchi 200’s was intercepted off the coast of Sicily and three were shot: down and others damaged. Two of our aircraft were lost in this operation. During the night of September 3 aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm torpedoed and destroyed an enemy destroyer outside Tripoli Harbour. In addition a large merchant ship was bombed and hit. Other aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm bombed and machine-gunned the Sicilian aerodromes of Gerbini and Catania, where two enemy aircraft were set on. fire and others damaged. Bomber aircraft i of the South African Air Force bombed enemy dumps north of Cambut during the night of September 3 and scored a number of hits. Yesterday, fighter aircraft machine-gunned a German camp near Capuzzo, setting fire to tents and destroying motor transport. From these operations, with the exception of the two mentioned, all our aircraft returned safely.”

SUEZ CANAL AREA RAIDED BY ENEMY PLANES SOME PROPERTY DAMAGE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) RUGBY. September 5. An official communique from Cairo states that the Suez Canal area was raided last night. High explosives and incendiaries were dropped, causing five casualties among the civilian population. two being fatal, and some damage to property. Air alarms were general over Northern Egypt, including Cairo. BRITISH PLEDGE. TO BOMB ROME IF CAIRO IS ATTACKED. LONDON, September 5. A communique issued by the Egyptian Minister of the Interior announcing an air raid in the Cairo area recalls the warning given by the British Government that if Athens and Cairo were molested Britain would begin systematic bombing of Rome. The Egyptian communique stated that a bomb was dropped in a suburb of Cairo on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 21. Damage was slight.