ENDLESS STREAM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 January 1943, Page 3

ENDLESS STREAM

BRITISH SUPPLY COLUMNS IN TRIPOLLITANIA PATROLS ACTIVE IN FORWARD AREA. AIR ATTACKS ON ENEMY TRANSPORT. LONDON, January 11. There is notliing new to report from the North African land fronts. In Tripolifania British forward patrols are out all the time, watching what the enemy is doing. Endless supply columns are still streaming up to the front line. Enemy transport, road junctions and troop concentrations have been attacked from the qir. Tunisian-based American aircraft made widespread attacks on German communications and troops. FRENCH WARSHIPS RICHELIEU & OTHERS BEING REPAIRED. LONDON, January 11. All French warships and merchantmen at Dakar would eventually be thoroughly serviceable, said Admiral Glassford, chief of the United States mission in North Africa. The battleship Richelieu, which was damaged by a torpedo, a shell and a depthcharge when the British attacked Dakar, did not need much repairing and was now being fitted out. There were also at Dakar three cruisers, two flotilla leaders, 10 submarines and scores of merchant ships. French planes and other equipment m Dakar had badly deteriorated and the shore batteries had ammunition for one heavy engagement only.

GOOD WEEK BY AMERICAN AIRMEN IN AFRICA.' MANY ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED. LONDON, January 10. A communique from Allied headquarters in North Africa states: “The 12th United States Air Force between January 2 and 9 destroyed 35 enemy aircraft and damaged 40 for the loss of 12.” UNITED STATES PROVIDING EQUIPMENT FOR FRENCH. COMMITTEE AT WORK. LONDON. January 10. General Eisenhower has announced the creation of a committee on which Britain will be represented to co ordinate and plan the rearmament of the French force in North Africa with American equipment. AIR OPERATIONS MANY HITS ON ENEMY VEHICLES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, January 11. A Cairo message reports that heavy enemy transport concentrations and convoys, moving both east and west in Tripolitania, and heavy traffic in Tunisia were attacked yesterday by the Allied desert’ air forces. Many hits were scored’ and vehicles were set on fire, with bombs, machine-gun and cannon fire. Over the battle area in Tripolitania several protective patrols were carried out, and two fighter-bomber raids were made on concentrations of enemy motor transport in the Wadi Rame, well inland. The enemy air force was fairly active, but avoided combat, except when four enemy aircraft were attacked by one R.A.F. fighter, which damaged one. Offensive sweeps over a wide territory were made on the previous night, including the bombing of road junctions east of Tripoli and north-east of Castel Benito.

BOMBERS IN ACTION ATTACKS ON ENEMY BASES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, January 11. A Middle East communique states: “Yesterday there was nothing to report from our land forces and offensive air operations over the battle area were not on a large scale. One Junkers 88 was destroyed by our fighters. “On Saturday night we bombed targets around Tripoli, and vehicles were attacked by low-flying aircraft along the coastal roads in Tunisia and Tripolitania. “Yesterday Allied heavy bombers attacked La Goulette in daylight, and also aerodromes in Sicily and on Lampedusa Island. One of our aircraft is missing, but its crew is safe.”

ENEMY HEADQUARTERS DEMOLISHED BY BOMB. AMERICAN PILOT’S EXPLOIT IN NORTH AFRICA. (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) LONDON, January 11. An American Air Force fighter pilot dropped a bomb squarely on the German headquarters at Kairwan and demolished the building, reports Reuter’s correspondent at Allied Headquarters in North Africa, Major Philip Cochrane carried out the attack, flying a P 40. He went in alone, at roof-top height, with a large bomb, and saw the building a mass of flaming wreckage. A Focke Wulf 190 attacked and wounded him in the arm and damaged his plane, but Major Cochrane fought off the attacker and returned safely to his base.