FLYING FORTRESSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 June 1943, Page 3

FLYING FORTRESSES

OPPOSED BY SWARMS OF FIGHTERS

IN DAYLIGHT RAID ON MESSINA

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO PORT. ADMITTED BY ITALIANS. LONDON, June 26. Flying Fortresses had to shoot their way ■ through swarms of enemy fighters to reach Messina in yesterday’s raid, says the Columbia Broadcasting System’s Algiers correspondent. Another report states that at least 2n of the enemy fighters were destroyed.

It is officially reported that anti-air-craft fire over the target was intense. Italian and German fighters pressed to the attack from all directions, sometimes ignoring their own anti-aircraft fire and forcing the Fortresses to fight during Jheir bombing runs. One of our bomber flights was tailed to within sight of the African coast. "The fighters were as thick as gnats,” said one American gunner.

Reuter’s Algiers correspondent says that 200 tons of high explosives and incendiaries were dropped on Messina yesterday. A Rome communique admits that extensive damage was caused by the raid. The casualties, it said, were 81 killed, and 85 wounded.

Reggo de Calabria, one of the two mainland terminals of the Messina ferry was also raided. The R.A.F. has made another night raid on Messina, where fires were still burning from the raid on Friday. In the second raid big fires were started in oil depots and damage was caused to the railway station. Air activity over the Mediterranean is on a smaller scale than for some days. Fighters from Malta destroyed a Messerschmitt.

CUT BY GREEKS RAILWAY BETWEEN ATHENS & SALONIKA. SUCCESSFUL GUERILLA ACTIVITY. LONDON, June 27. News has come through tonight that Axis communications between Athens and Salonika have been disrupted in Greece by Greek guerillas. They have cut the railway running from Athens to Salonika along the east coast. Reports state that a bridge was destroyed and several others also blown up. Explosions also caused heavy landslides on the railway.