AIR ACTIVITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 September 1942, Page 3

AIR ACTIVITY

OVER BATTLE AREA IN EGYPT & MEDITERRANEAN

ENEMY POSITIONS SHELLED IN NORTHERN & CENTRAL SECTORS. (British Official Wireless.) , (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, September 15. Cairo headquarters states: “On Sunday night our patrol activity continued and our artillery shelled enemy positions in the northern and central sectors. Yesterday land operations were confined to artillery exchanges, particularly in the southern sector, where enemy positions and vehicle concentrations were shelled. “Allied bombers on Sunday night attacked shipping and port installations at Benghazi, aerodromes at Sidi Heneish and selected objectives at Tobruk, in force. . Explosions and fires were caused, anti-aircraft and searchlight batteries put out of action and encampments attacked. “Yesterday our long-range _ fighters, escorting naval units returning from Tobruk, engaged large formations of enemy bombers, forced them to jettison'their bombs and inflicted casualties. “There was air activity on a small scale over the battle area. One. Messerschmitt 109 was shot down without loss to ourselves.’’

TOBRUK AS TARGET

SMASHING ALLIED ATTACK. BENGHAZI & CAMPS ALSO BOMBED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) RUGBY, September 15. Heavy, medium and light bombers of the United Nations, including naval aircraft, carried out one of the heaviest night raids of the Middle East campaign on Sunday night. Shipping and port installations at Tobruk and Benghazi and enemy landing grounds and encampments in the Desert were among the targets successfully attacked. Tobruk was the main target and heavy and medium bombers scored many hits. Fires and explosions were started at the naval fuel tanks, and petrol installations. One explosion at a large petrol installation was felt by aircraft at 16,000 feet. More fires were started as bombs burst along the jetties and in the town area. Other bombers, which attacked an enemy encampment west of Tobruk, saw hits among tents and bursts near workshops. Benghazi was also attacked by heavy R.A.F. and United States bombers. Bursts were observed in the harbour area and near a medium-sized ship.