BATTERED IN PORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1943, Page 4

BATTERED IN PORT

TWO ITALIAN HEAVY CRUISERS \ ATTACK BY STRONG FORCE OF FLYING FORTRESSES. AXIS SHIP REPORTED SUNK OFF BIZZERTA. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, April 11. One of the largest formations of Flying Fortresses ever employed anywhere heavily bombed and scored direct hits on the 10,000-ton Italian cruisers Gorizia and Trieste, lying in La Maddelena harbour, Sardinia, states an announcement from the Allied headquarters in Algiers. The cruisers were damaged so severely that they are expected to be immobilised for the remainder of the North African campaign. The full results of the attack will not be known till the photographs which were taken during the raid are studied. The Fortresses were under’ the command of Major-General Doolittle, who led the raid on Tokio. ONE CRUISER SUNK. « A later message states that a recon- ’ naissance plane reports that one of the heavy Italian cruisers, the Trieste, has now sunk. '" The Morocco radio reports that one Axis vessel was sunk and another damaged in a naval engagement off Bizerta. A message from Adgiers says that yesterday morning 27 enemy planes, including 18 Junkers transports, were shot down by a formation of Lightnings. None of our planes were lost. The enemy formation was sighted between Sicily and Tunisia, and was shot to pieces in 15 minutes. Probably the transports were loaded with petrol and oil ,as several exploded when they hit the sea. AIRCRAFT BUSY • IN THE SICILIAN NARROWS, ATTACKS ON AERODROME & CONVOY. ' (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, April 11. R.A.F. fighters and bombers yesterday attacked an aerodrome on Lampedusa Island, between Sicily and Tunisia. The aircraft also sighted an enemy convoy off the Tunisian coast and attacked it with the aid of flares. A flash was seen from the stern of one ship and the vessel was later seen with smoke pouring from it. BOMBING EFFECTS EVACUATION OF NAPLES & OTHER CITIES. (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, April 11. .The Moscow radio quoted a report from Berne that the Italian Cabinet had decided to evacuate from Naples and other cities all industrial equipment. Property which owners do not evacuate within the time limit will be requisitioned by the State; PORT OF SFAX LONDON, April 11. Sfax is the largest town and port taken by the Eighth Army since it captured Tripoli. The docks, however, were I built to accommodate only small ships. Sfax has a peacetime population of 40,000. It traded in phosphates, and was the centre for the sponge fisheries in the bay. ’