EVE OF BATTLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 February 1942, Page 3

EVE OF BATTLE

A BOTH SIDES VIGILANT IN LIBYA ROMMEL FEELING HIS WAY. ANTICIPATION OF MAJOR ATTACK. LONDON. February 16. Tn Libya, patrol activities have increased in the large area south of Gazala, which is still in our hands. It is thought that Rommel is trying to feel the strength of our forces from north to south before attempting to launch a major attack. The enemy has made slight progress to the eastward. Our patrols were in contact with enemy columns yesterday in the area stretching from the coast west of Gazala forty miles south. A German bomber and an Italian fighter were shot down on Friday. A whole series of targets were attacked by our bombers on Saturday night, including the harbour at Benghazi, the aerodrome at Berka and aerodromes in Sicily. On Sunday night two enemy bombers were shot down during raids on Malta. Yesterday four enemy planes were shot down, two by our fighters and two by anti-aircraft fire. AIR FORCES ACTIVE MANY ATTACKS ON ENEMY. IN LIBYA AND SICILY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, February 16. A R. A. F. Middle East communique states: "Our fighters maintained their activities over forward areas in Cyrenaica throughout Sunday. Bombers operating in close support of our ground forces bombed an enemy column in the Gadd El Ahmai’ zone, scoring a number of direct hits. On Friday a Junkers 88 and a Macchi fighter were shot down in the Bir Hacheim region by anti-aircraft fire. During Saturday night, bombers again attacked harbour installations at Benghazi and aerodromes at Berka. Heavy cloud obscured the results of the raids on Benghazi, but fires were seen to break out at Berka. On the same night objectives in Sicily were bombed. Explosions and fires were caused in harbour areas at both Augusta and Syracuse. The aerodromes at Catania, Comiso and Gherbini were also raided, the attack on Gherbini being particularly effective. Our aircraft engaged a number of S7l torpedobombers which attempted to attack shipping in the Central Mediterranean on Sunday. Two enemy aircraft were shot down. “During enemy raids on Malta on the same day, our fighters shot down two Messerrchmitt 109 s and anti-air-craft batteries accounted for two Junkers 88s. Some damage was caused m the course of these attacks. _ _ „ “Five of our aircraft are missing.