POWERFUL BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 September 1941, Page 6

POWERFUL BLOWS

STRUCK BY AIR FORCE IN NORTH AFRICA AGAINST AXIS SEA & LAND TRANSPORT. NUMBER OF ENEMY PLANES SHOT DOWN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) RUGBY, September 25. A R.A.F. Middle East communique states: “Tripoli and Benghazi were again successfully raided by heavy bombers on the night of September 23. At Tripoli many bombs were dropped on. shipping and the harbour and fires broke out. At Benghazi the harbour and shipping were attacked. One vessel moored at the outer mole was hit and exploded, debris being thrown to a considerable distance. Others bombs burst on moles and straddled ships and anchorages. The Fleet Air Arm bombed buildings near Bardia on the same night. A large fire followed the attack.

“At daylight yesterday traffic on the Benghazi Road, between Misurata and Sirte was bombed and machine-gun-ned. A petrol tank vehicle received a direct hit and burnt out and many other vehicles were damaged. Some collided and another ran off the road. “The South African Air Force raided a large dump near Bardia. “Our fighters have been active in the frontier areas of the North African coast. In the course of these operations a number of enemy aircraft were intercepted by our aircraft and shot down. Two of a crew were seen to take to a dinghy. “Reconnaissance in the Central Mediterranean shows that a large merchantman attacked by the R.A.F. and the Fleet Air Arm on the night of September 22 has sunk.

“From all these operations, five of our planes are missing, but two of the pilots are safe.” •