WIDESPREAD ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 May 1942, Page 3

WIDESPREAD ACTION

BY R.A.F. IN MIDDLE EAST

MANY EFFECTIVE BLOWS STRUCK.

SEVERAL ENEMY AIRCRAFT DESTROYED.

LONDON, May 3

In the Middle' East the R.A.F. lias bombed Benghazi Harbour yet again. A large Axis plane was shot down in flames when it was about to land on an aerodrome in the Western Desert. Two Messerschmitts were shot down elsewhere. Other attacks were made on an aerodrome near Athens on the U-boat base at Leros, in the Dodecanese Islands and on an aerodrome at Rhodes. From these widespread operations only one plane is missing. . At Malta an enemy fighter has been destroyed and another damaged in raids on the island today. GOOD SCORE MADE BY MALTA GUNNERS. 101 AXIS PLANES DESTROYED IN APRIL. ' (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 2. Malta’s anti-aircraft gunners on Thursday destroyed two Axis raiders, bringing their score for April to 101 enemy machines definitely destroyed. The R.A.F. on the same day destroyed two enemy aircraft and damaged four others. On Friday morning the R.A.F. destroyed one enemy plane and damaged two others. HEAVILY BLASTED U-BOAT BASE AT LEROS. BIGGEST NIGHT OUT FOR A YEAR. LONDON, May 3. Reuter’s correspondent in the Western Desert says it is now disclosed that a large Axis submarine repair base at Lercs, an island in the Aegean Sea, was the chief target for Wellington bombers of six R.A.F. squadrons stationed in the Western Desert on Thursday night. Each plane carried 1J tons of bombs. > ■' Under a full moon and against little opposition, the raid is described as the biggest, night out for’ a year for medium and heavy bombers in the Middle East.

POLISH TROOPS

LARGE NUMBERS GOING TO MIDDLE EAST. LONDON. May 3. Tens of thousands of Polish troops are being sent from Russia to the Middle East. It was stated in London today by the Polish Ambassador that these troops would strengthen the seasoned Polish forces in Tobruk and Libya.