PUNISHING ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1942, Page 3

PUNISHING ATTACKS

AXIS TANKER BLOWN UP. OTHER ENEMY VESSELS RAKED WITH FIRE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, September 1. Hatches and superstructure were thrown high into the air when a tor-pedo-carrying R.A.F. plane scored a hit amidships on a medium-sized Axis tanker, escorted by destroyers and aii> craft, in the Mediterranean on Sunday. The vessel blew up and was soon surrounded by patches of oil. which caught fire. Other aircraft attacked an escort vessel with cannon and machine-guns. Hits were scored all along its superstructure. One Italian fighter was shot down, but all the British planes returned safely. HEAVY LOSSES OF NAVAL & MERCANTILE SHIPPING. SUFFERED BY ENEMY IN MEDITERRANEAN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) RUGBY, September 1. It is officially stated in Alexandria that 2.366,000 tons of Axis merchant shipping have been sunk or damaged in the Mediterranean since Italy entered the war, including 1,479.000 tons entirely destroyed. The enemy has also in the Mediterranean, four eight-inch gun cruisers, five six-inch gun cruisers, about fifty destroyers and miscellaneous craft. The Axis submarine losses cannot be disclosed, but they are known to be considerable. SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS ON ENEMY PLANES & TRANSPORT (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY. September 1. It is officially stated that in air combat in Egypt yesterday our fighters destroyed at least seven enemy planes, in addition to many on die ground. Two were shot down by our long-range fighters over the sea. _ At night our bombers successfully raided concentrations of enemy vehicles in the battle area.