AIR OFFENSIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1942, Page 4

AIR OFFENSIVE

WIDESPREAD OPERATIONS IN LIBYA DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY VEHICLES. RAIDS ON MALTA RESUMED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) RUGBY, February 5. A Middle East war communique states that our bombers successfully engaged a number of enemy columns, destroying a number of vehicles. A R.A.F. Middle East communique says: Further details are now available of operations carried out by our fighter and bomber aircraft over Cyrenaica during Tuesday. Offensive sweeps by fighter aircraft in the DernaCarmusa regions caused many casualties among enemy personnel and enemy vehicles destroyed or damaged. Bomber aircraft successfully attacked motorised units west of Derna and in the Lamlada district, scoring direct hits and starting fires among enemy columns. Road communications in the Beng-hazi-Barce-Benini area were bombed during the night of Tuesday and Wednesday. During Wednesday fighter sweeps were maintained in the forward area, many vehicles being successfully machine-gunned. Bomber aircraft were active east and west of Tmimi. Objectives in Sicily were also raided by our aircraft on Wednesday. Bombs straddled a goods train near Carini and a railway bridge was attacked with good results. During the same day enemy aircraft resumed their attacks on Malta. A large force of strongly escorted bombers was intercepted by our fighters, which damaged several of the raiding aircraft. Eight of our aircraft are missing.