DAMAGING BLOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1943, Page 3

DAMAGING BLOW

STRUCK AT AXIS AIRFIELD IN GREECE NIGHT AND DAY ATTACKS. ON SARDINIA AND SICILY. LONDON, June 25. Middle East aircraft have found a new target, the Ger-man-held aerodrome near Salonika, in Greece. The aerodrome was attacked by more than 50 Liberators. The planes made a round trip of 3100 miles and attacked in two waves. They dropped over 100 lons of bombs.

The aerodrome was regarded as one of the finest in Greece, but after yesterday's attack it has lost some of its value. The Liberators blew up three large hangars which were left in flames, destroyed aircraft on the ground, hit repair workshops and pitted the runways with bomb craters.

The Greek population was cheered by leaflets, which were dropped in hundreds of thousands as the bombers flew over the city. All the bombers came back safely.

The North-West African Air Force sent 300 bombers and fighters to attack targets in Sardinia. The Axis put up a strong force of fighters, 20 of which were destroyed. Nine bombers were lost.

Sicily has been attacked day and night. Malta-based fighter-bombers went for industrial ' targets on the south coast and last night naval aircraft attacked objectives on pie cast coast.

VALUE CUT DOWN IMPORTANT ENEMY AIR BASE. KEYPOINT IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE. (Received This Day. 12.25 p.m.) LONDON. June 25. The main objective of the raid against Sedes Aerodrome (near Salonika, in Greece) was to wipe out an air training centre which the Germans are using as a main supply base in the Mediterranean, says the Associated- Press Cairo correspondent. The Germans have strongly built up and enlarged air facilities in this area. At least five aerodromes have been operating there, including a seaplane station. Sedes, described as a firstclass air base, is the largest and most important of these bases. The destruction effected is so extensive that the field is likely to be unserviceable for a long time. Pilots reported a wide destruction of hangars, repair shops, barracks and administration buildings. The attack apparently caught the enemy unawares. Although the area is regarded as heavily defended, it being the keypoint of Rommel’s new “Siegfried Line” in South-Eastern Europe, the ground defence was extremely light and no enemy fighters went up. Thousands of pamphlets bearing an encouraging message to the Greeks were dropped by American planes. Reuter’s Cairo correspondent says: “Roaring over the target in two waves, Liberators blanketed the aerodrome with direct hits. Three large hangars were blown up. A string of bombs also fell over dispersal areas, which were so covered with dense smoke ■that the pilots were able to see only three planes destroyed. It is known that there was a concentration of enemy planes at Sedes and therefore it is possible that a great many others were destroyed.”

The Columbia Broadcasting system's Algiers correspondent reports that about 300 planes participated in a raid against Sardinia yesterday. It was an all-American show. While Marauders plastered railways, Lightnings had a spectacular running fight with large formations of Messerschmitts, 13 of which were shot down.