SHOT DOWN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 November 1942, Page 3

SHOT DOWN

SIX LARGE ITALIAN TRANSPORT PLANES EACH CARRYING 200 MEN. NEAR ISLAND OF PANTELLARIA. LONDON, November 13. Six large Italian troop-carrying aircraft, each carrying 200 men, were shot down into the sea by Allied long-range fighters off the Italian island stronghold of Pantellaria (between Tunisia and Sicily). The enemy planes were flying from the direction of Tunisia, and men seen clinging to wreckage were wearing German uniforms. TUNISIAN BORDER REACHED BY SUBSTANTIAL ALLIED FORCES. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS FROM MALTA. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, November 13. It is announced that substantial Allied forces, advancing in North Africa, have now reached the Tunisian border. General Eisenhower has congratulated the Air Officer Commanding in Malta on the recent highly successful bombing attacks made on Tunis and Sardinia. , A , According to preliminary reports Allied casualties in North Africa have been extremely light. ITALIAN VEHICLES COMMANDEERED BY FLEEING GERMANS. NO ATTEMPT TO OPPOSE AIR ATTACKS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, November 13. A Cairo message states that prisoners from the Italian Pistoia Motorised Division were captured on the frontier without transport, which suggests that the fleeing Germans commandeered their vehicles when they reached the frontier. Repeated heavy air attacks on the racing German transport were made throughout yesterday, but the enemy made no effort to put up a fighter screen. NATIVE PRISONERS MANY FREED AT TOBRUK. EVACUATION ADMITTED IN BERLIN. (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 13. A large number of native prisoners were freed at Tobruk, including some of the men who were with the South African force captured in Rommels last advance in June. The Berlin News Agency, announcing the evacuation of Tobruk, said preparations for the evacuation began several days ago and that all objectives of military importance left behind were destroyed. “We got out a fairly large quantity of tanks and heavy and medium guns which Rommel will use for the final defence of positions in Libya,” the agency adds. According to the Rabat radio, Axis ships left Benghazi probably after the evacuation of the port.