R.A.F.'S BIG BAG.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 304, 23 December 1940, Page 7

R.A.F.'S BIG BAG.

EGYPT AND LIBYA. Nearly 170 Planes Destroyed Or Captured. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed. 10 a.m.) LONDON', Dec. 22. Official accounts of the Royal Air Force's co-operation in Egypt and Libya from December 7 to December IJ> show that at least 144 cucmy planes were destroyed, comprising SS destroyed in the air and 56 destroyed on the ground or captured. The British losses were lo planes, but five pilots were saved.

The. official story deals in detail with ii surprise attack, beginning 01l t i lo nig , lt of December 7 on Castcl Benito, with extensive damage to all ll\c hangars. There was subsequent bombing of the aerodromes at Beuina, Sidi Hnrrani, Solium and Rnrdta, also aerodromes throughout Libya.

The communique mentions that 20 tons of bombs were dropped on licuina aerodrome on December 8, which was carpeted with flames, hut the heaviest raid on Dei-ember 10 was on Kladem, where numbers of airc-raft on the ground were destroyed «n«l the aerodrome completely gutted. Raids between December 15 and December 17 were on Ilardia. Himia and Appolonia. These and other targets were bombed with increasing severity on occasions too numerous to mention. Continuous attacks from dawn to dusk were made ii]>oii troops and mot;>r transports. Particularly heavy n> ids were made on Tobruk, where petrol stores and ammunition dumps were blown up. Later Raids. The aerodronto of Castel Tienito, near Tripoli, was heavily bombed by the Royal Air Force on Friday night. Nineteen Italian machines were destroyed, either by bombs or by fire. Direct hits were scored on hangars and large fires were etartfcd.

Since December 7 the Italians have lost 108 aircraft, 01 of which were shot down and the remainder destroyed on the ground or captured.

A Royal Air Force communique states: "Yesterday we shot down five Italian aeroplanes, in addition to severely damaging seven Savoia Ttl's, in the Rardia area. We dropped bombs on buildings and hangars at the Berka aerodrome on Thursday, and also bombed aeroplanes on the ground at the Gazala aerodrome the same night."