AIR OFFENSIVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1943, Page 3

AIR OFFENSIVE

ON ITALIAN ISLANDS & MAINLAND BOMB DAMAGE IN PORTS. SHIPS SUNK & DAMAGED. (British Official Wireless.! RUGBY, May 15. A Middle East air communique states: “Heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force attacked Messina, Sicily, and Wellingtons attacked Cagliari, Sardinia, on Thursday night, bombs bursting near the ferry terminus. Yesterday in daylight R.A.F. long-range fighters, attacked and damaged an enemy minesweeper off the west coast of Greece. From these and other operations one of our aircraft is missing.” A later message says that the North African air force, extending its attacks still further northward, yesterday attacked Civita Vecchia, an important port 37 miles north-west of Rome, and Olbia, in the north-west of Sardinia. They also bombed a series of other targets in Sardinia, including the airfield at Alghero and nearby railways, Porto Torres, Porto Santo Romano, and other places. Messages report that heavy damage was done by Flying Fortresses at Civita Vecchia, where fires were started and several hits were scored on vessels. At Olbia three ships were sunk,

a large tanker was damaged and three enemy planes were brought down. Three more planes were destroyed at Alghcro. Two of ours are missing from these attacks. Fighter-bombers from Malta attacked Comiso aerodrome in Sicily yesterday and destroyed a Dornier flyingboat and damaged a small surface craft with cannon fire. Last night Malta intruders were over Sicily and southern Italy. The quayside at the port called Callipoli, in the Gulf of Taranto was attacked with cannon-fire and strikes were seen on a.vessel beside the quay. The Commander-in-Chief, Malta, Field Marshal Lord Gort, has returned to Malta from the Middle East.