NIGHT ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 June 1943, Page 3

NIGHT ATTACKS

ON AXIS LAND & SEA TRANSPORT

IN SICILY AND SOUTHERN ITALY.

MADE BY MOSQUITOES FROM MALTA.

LONDON, June 17

Mosquitoes from Malta macle more widespread attacks last night on Axis communications in Sicily and Southern Italy. The targets included shipping, railway and road transport. They also raked a mine-sweeper with cannon fire and damaged a destroyer escorting a convoy. Bad weather restricted the NorthWest African Air Force yesterday to patrol and reconnaissance activities. It is officially announced that in the two mpnths since April 15 the Allied planes of the North-West African ana Middle East air forces have destroyed 685 Axis planes in air combat and 252 on the ground. The Allied losses have totalled 237 aircraft. BETTER PLANES AND BETTER KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO USE THEM. POSSESSED BY THE ALLIES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY, June 17. The United States Secretary for War (Mr Stimson) said, according to a Washington message, that the Mediterranean victories proved that the Allies had better planes and a better knowledge of how to use them than the Axis. The conquest of the four enemy islands, Mr Stimson added, had netted 11,135 prisoners. Between 4,000 and 5,000 were taken in Pantelleria and Lampedusa at a cost of about 40 airmen and., a., few planes. Mr Stimson compared this with Malta s stand for three years. Malta’s defences probably were stronger, but 'the German and Italian assaults were sporadic and inac-, curate compared with the heavy and continuous bombing of Pantelleria by the Allies. Moreover the Allied hits on military targets were scored with mathematical precision.