DAMAGING BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1942, Page 3

DAMAGING BLOWS

STRUCK BV ALLIED PLANES IN NORTH AFRICA AXIS AMMUNITION TRAIN BLOWN UP. HEAVY AMERICAN ATTACK ON BENGHAZI. LONDON, October 11. In Egypt, Friday’s major attacks by aircraft were continued during the night with a successful raid on an enemy landing ground in the Fuka area, by medium bombers and naval aircraft. Direct hits were made on grounded planes and buildings were set on fire. A. railway line was straddled with bombs.

Yesterday air activity was confined to fighter attacks over the battle area, and to a raid on Benghazi by American bombers. The fighters shot up enemy transport vehicles, tanks and troops. The American bombers, in their raid on Benghazi, dropped at least 15 heavy bombs in the heart of the dock area, and scored a near miss on a transport.

It is now known that the enemy supply train successfully attacked on Friday consisted of 20 fully-laden trucks carrying 500 tons of ammunition to the front line. The entire train was blown off the line, set on fire, and completely wrecked. . A review of night patrol activities m the Western desert in fuller detail than has yet been made public is given by an agency correspondent. On Monday night, he says, our infantry attacked enemy strongpoints in the Ruweisat Ridge area, and after fierce fighting killed an entire garrison. Our forces suffered only slight casualties. On the following night one of our fighting patrols in the central sector rushed an enemy post, killing a number of the garrison and taking two prisoners. These, however, were killed by the fire of their own troops. Later in the same morning our light mobile forces operating in the southern sector encountered a small number of enemy tanks. These were at once engaged, but quickly withdrew, one being damaged. Enemy air activity over Malta has been greater than for some time past. Five raids were made and some civilians were killed or injured, and some civilian damage was caused. At least two Mesesrschmitt 109 s were destroyed.