SPLENDID DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1942, Page 3

SPLENDID DEFENCE

MALTA HITTING BACK AS HARD AS EVER

AGAINST AXIS OFFENSIVE.

ENEMY LOSS OF OVER 100 PLANES IN FIVE DAYS.

Over Malta yesterday, the fifth day of the Axis air offensive, the enemy lost 15 more planes for four British fighters, with three pilots safe. A later message states that six more Axis planes were destroyed over Malta after the lunch hour today. This brings the total enemy losses since Sunday to over 100 aircraft. ENEMY FAILURE MOST BOMBS DROPPED INTO SEA. OPERATIONS IN EGYPT & AEGEAN (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, October 16. Honours were again with the defenders in the Axis undiminished onslaught on Malta. Today’s Cairo communique states: “Attacks were continued on Wednesday night, but most o£ the bombs fell into the sea. One Heinkel was destroyed by our night fighters. In daylight attacks on Thursday, on the same scale as previously, our fighters shot down 14 enemy aircraft for the loss of four Spitfires! and three pilots safe. “A Junkers 88 made a forced landing near Kufra on Wednesday and the crew were taken prisoner.” Referring to land and air operations in Africa communique says: “There is nothing to report from the land forces yesterday, except patrol activity. “Our medium bombers on Wednesday night successfully raided targets at Tobruk, Sidi Haneish and Solium, where fires and explosions resulted. “In the battle area yesterday our fighterbombers were active over enemy transport. “Our fighters destroyed a Junkers 52 southward of Crete.

“We lost six aircraft in these operations, including the four at Malta.”