BOMBED AGAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 September 1941, Page 5

BOMBED AGAIN

THE CORINTH CANAL DIRECT HITS SCORED ON BOTH BANKS MANY OTHER TARGETS ATTACKED. ENEMY RAIDER SHOT DOWN IN SUEZ AREA. LONDON, September 10. The Corinth Canal, in Greece, has again been bombed by the R.A.F. An Air Force communique states that heavy bombers scored direct hits on both banks of the canal on Monday night and did considerable damage. As the result of a previous raid the canal was blocked for some time. Crete was also bombed on Monday night, an aerodrome being the main objective. In North Africa several landing grounds were attacked and' a petrol fire was started among motor transport on the road to Tobruk. Fighters patrolling over shipping on the coast of Cyrenaica beat off an attempted attack by a large force of Messerschmitts. R.A.F. fighters in the Suez Canal zone last night intercepted enemy raiders. One was shot down and another damaged. There were no R.A.F. casualties and the damage was slight. In all these operations in the Middle East two British planes were lost.

ITALIAN TANKER SUNK BY BRITISH SUBMARINE. ENEMY CONVOY SCATTERED. (Received This Day, 8.45 a.m.) ISTANBUL, September 10. A British submarine sank the Italian tanker Maya of 5,200 tons, which was proceeding in a convoy to the Black Sea. It is reported that an escorting plane was shot down. The rest of the convoy was scattered.

AIR FIGHTING

R.A.F. HARD AT WORK IN MEDITERRANEAN. SERIES OF EFFECTIVE BLOWS. This Day, 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, September 10. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Heavy bombers of the R.A.F. bombed the Corinth Canal on the night of September 8. A number of direct hits were registered on both banks and it is estimated that considerable damage was caused. “On the same night the Heraklion aerodrome in Crete was attacked and landing-grounds at Tmimi, Martuba. Derna and Gazala were raided. Our aircraft subsequently carried out ma-chine-gun attacks on motor transport on a road between Derna and Tobruk, starting a number of petrol fires. “R.A.F. fighters, patrolling over shipping off the Cyrenaica coast yesterday, were attacked by a large force of Messerschmitt 109 s, but the attack was beaten off and no subsequent raid by enemy planes materialised. “During the night of September 8. enemy aircraft raided Malta. They caused only slight damage to civilian property. “One of our night fighters shot down a Cant Z 107 into the sea, after it had [ been caught in searchlights. Five survivors of the crew were captured. “On the same night, an unsuccessful attempt was made to raid Haifa, which suffered no damage or casualties. “Enemy aircraft last night made two (attacks on R.A.F. stations in the Suez (Canal zone. Our night fighters, on both occasions, intercepted the enemy. One Junkers 88 was shot down and I another damaged. There were no j R.A.F. casualties and damage was slight. “Two of our planes are missing from all the above operations.”