ALLIED AIR FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 February 1943, Page 4

ALLIED AIR FORCES

ACTIVE IN NORTH AFRICA AND IN RAIDS ON ITALY & SICILY. SEVERAL PORTS ATTACKED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) RUGBY, February 14. A North African communique states: “On the Tunisian front, activity on both sides has been limited to patrolling. Our bombers attacked the El Aouina airfield, at Tunis and shot down four enemy fighters in combat. Bombers and fighters, on a sea sweep, destroyed six enemy transport aircraft between Tunisia and Sicily. Last night our bombers attacked docks at Bizerta. On the night of February 12, two enemy bombers were destroyed. From all operations, two of our aircraft are missing.” An American Army communique, issued in Cairo, states: “Liberator heavy combers of the Ninth United States Air Force attacked Naples Harbour and shipping facilities at Crotone during daylight today. The results of the bombing of Naples were not observed owing to complete cloud coverage over the city. At Crotone bombs were seen to burst on barracks and warehouses and large fires were left burning. All our aircraft returned.” ,

A Middle East joint communique states: “In the coastal sector, our troops made further progress yesterday and are in contact with the enemy withdrawing towards Ben Gardane. Patrol activity has continued on other sectors. Air activity yesterday over the battle area was on a small scale, although our fighter-bombers attacked vehicles west of Ben Gardane. Considerable damage was inflicted on rail communications in Sicily by our raiders on Friday night. Fighter-bombers operated over Sicily. One of our aircraft is missing.” DAMAGING ATTACKS ON ITALIAN RAILWAYS. MADE BY MOSQUITO BOMBERS FROM MALTA. (Received This Day, Noon.) (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 14. A Cairo agency message states that weather hampered operations over South Italy yesterday. Mosquitoes, which have been going out nightly from Malta and carrying out offensive patrols over the toe of Italy, have caused considerable damage to railway communications. On the night of February 12, two locomotives and wagons were damaged at Cantanzaro and others at Ragusa. Yesterday fighterbombers successfully attacked chemical works at Pachine, in Sicily.