MANY AIR ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1943, Page 4

MANY AIR ATTACKS

ON ENEMY IN NORTH AFRICA AND OTHER MEDITERRANEAN AREAS. ALLIED OFFICIAL REPORT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 11.50 a.m.) RUGBY, January 13. A North Africa communique states: “Patrolling encounters have continued in the area between Bouarada and Goumbellat. On Monday night twelve Bisleys ■ bombed roads behind the enemy’s positions. Yesterday a formation of Bl7s attacked the airfield at Castel Benito, near Tripoli. Bombs were seen to burst on buildings and among grounded aircraft. Our bombers were attacked by enemy fighters. In a running combat, we shot down fourteen Messerschmitt 109 s without loss. 826 s bombed bridges between Sousse and Sfax. P3Bs on offensive sweeps attacked a number of enemy ground targets. In an attempted raid on one of our fields a Junkers 88 and a Messerschmitt 109 were shot down by P4os. From all operations one of our aircraft is missing.” “R.A.F. and South African fighters engaged a large formation of enemy bombers which attacked our forward landing grounds in Tripolitania yesterday,” states a Cairo message. “Four Macchi 200 s and one Messerschmitt 109 were shot down and others damaged, for the loss of two of our planes, the pilots of both of which are safe. One was picked up at sea. Throughout the day activity over the battle area was limited owing to stormy weather. Medium bombers attacked an ordnance depot and repair, buildings at Homs on Monday night. They swept the road east and west of the town and attacked barracks. Six large fires were started. Transport was set on fire when four-engined heavy bombers attacked the important junction of Tahuna Gate, just outside Tripoli. In a daylight raid on Crete yesterday, targets at Sphakis, on the south coast and at Maleme Aerodrome were bombed.”

SPLENDID FIGHT WON BY FLYING FORTRESSES. AFTER RAID ON CASTEL BENITO. (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, January 13. Flying Fortresses based in North Africa struck a heavy blow at Rommel when they raided Castel Benito aerodrome, south of Trijoli. They destroyed 20 grounded planes and directly hit buildings, a row of which was destroyed. The Fortresses, in a running fight for 75 miles, not only destroyed 14 Messerschmitts without loss, but damaged ten ethers. About 30 Messerschmitts were engaged .in the action, according to Reuter’s Algiers correspondent. Lightnings operating between Gabes and Tripoli shot up a moored seaplane and also destroyed 50 trucks in a motor convoy, and five lorries laden with Axis soldiers, in a second motor convoy. R.A.F. Bisley bombers, without loss, destroyed or set fire to many trucks among convoys taking supplies to the Axis lines. MONTGOMERY MAKING READY. The Morocco radio stated that the Eighth Army is daily infiltrating into the Axis defensive positions in the Wadi Zemzem. General Montgomery is taking all precautions to ensure a quick advance. The R.A.F. is keeping up attacks against the fleeing remnants of the Afrika Korps. Only patrol activity is reported from Northern Tunisia. Each side is seeking to discover the other’s strength. The weather continues bad. There has been considerable Allied air activity. General Leclerc’s forces in Fezzan and also the French Camel Corps troops on his left flank, are continuing their rapid advance. They are in constant touch, although miles apart. The Morocco radio, referring to General Leclerc’s conquest of Fezzan, said General Leclerc has insufficient forces for a drive to Tripoli and Ghadames. There is no question of his nomad detachments tackling Rommel’s or Nahring’s armoured forces.