SHIPPING BOMBED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 271, 26 August 1943, Page 3

SHIPPING BOMBED

ITALIAN MOTOR TRANSPORT. RAILWAYS ALSO ATTACKED. PLANES FROM NORTH AFRICA. (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 10.0 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 25. Since the closing stages of the campaign in Sicily, says a correspondent at headquarters in North Africa, one of the principal targets of the North African. Air Force has been the Italian railways, but yester’day motor transport and coastwise shipping were also attacked.

The chief attacks in the last 24 hours were delivered by Wellingtons of the Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force last night on Torre-Dell-Annuziati, in the Gulf of Naples. On this important town, which has been regularly raided by Wellingtons since the closing stages of the Sicilian campaign, 4000-lb blockbusters hit the steelworks and many other heavy bombs fell on the marshalling yards. Again the raiders reported that they were not troubled by enemy fighters although there was a certain amount of anti-aircraft fire.

Photographs confirm that the bombs were well grouped in the target area. Long-range “invaders,” which are becoming general utility planes of the North African Air Forces, went after railways at Sapri, on the west coast, 12 miles north of Messina at Castrovillari, 40 miles south-east, Capri and Sibari. While Spitfires provided cover the invaders hit railway tracks and dropped bombs at the entrance to a tunnel near Sapri.

Other invaders ranging over 120 miles north of the Straits of Messina hit a cruiser (mentioned in the communique) with 5001 b bombs. The stern was blown out and the vessel was burning fiercely after the aircraft pulled out of their drive. This is the first occasion that “invaders” have hit a large enemy vessel though during the battle of Sicily they sank many small craft. —British Official Wireless.

ENEMY PLANE DOWNED.

(Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 25

A Middle East air communique states: “An enemy aircraft was shot down off the coast of Cyrenaica yesterday; On Monday Beaufigliters attacked and damaged an enemy merchant vessel off the west coast of Greece. From these and other operations one of onr aircraft is missing.”—British Official Wireless.