MALTA HAMMERED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 83, 9 April 1942, Page 7

MALTA HAMMERED

INTENSIVE SCALE Island's Heaviest Raid Of The War Reported Rec. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, April 8. The R.A.F. Middle East communique states that air raius over Malta continued on an intensive scale yesterday. Anti-aircraft gunfire shot down two Junkers 88 and one Messerschmitt 109. It is known that a further Junker 88 was destroyed on Monday afternoon. Two of our aircraft are missing. One pilot is safe. Malta experienced its heaviest air raid of the war yesterday, when waves of German planes bombed and dive-bombed the harbour area and aerodromes. Although the harbour area was the main enemy target, other bombers attacked aerodromes. Valetta and other residential districts suffered damage and casualties. As the raiders dived to attack they were met by an intense high and lowlevel anti-aircraft barrage. Two bombers and two fighters were destroyed for certain by the antiaircraft batteries, another bomber was probably destroyed, and two more were damaged. The island had its 2000 th air-raid alert of the war yesterday and the 1000 th since December 2. In the past four months the island has had only nine raid-free nights altogether, and only one raid-free day and night in succession. The R.A.F. Middle East communique adds that fighters and bombers were in action in the forward area of Cyrenalca yesterday, attacking enemy troops and motor vehicles. One Macchi 202 was shot down, and another enemy aircraft was damaged. A further raid on the moles and shipping at Bengasi and the landing ground at Berka was carried out on Monday night. Enemy aircraft operated over the Alexandria area on Tuesday night, and two of them were destroyed and others damaged. There were no casualties, and the damage was slight. A Middle East communique states: "Our fighting patrols were again active in Libya yesterday."