SUPPLY TRAIN BLOWN UP ON DESERT LINE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 241, 12 October 1942, Page 3

SUPPLY TRAIN BLOWN UP ON DESERT LINE

BIG AIR OFFENSIVE

500 Tons Of Axis Munitions Completely Wrecked V P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY. Oct. 11. It is now known that the explosion was so great when our planes attacked an enemy train in the Western Desert yesterday that the whole train, carrying 500 tons of munitions, was blown off the line and completely wrecked. Debris was flung hundreds of feet into the air and sm»ke rose 2000 feet. One truck, carrying a big gun, was flung bodily into the air. Accounts of Allied attacks on two enemy ammunition trains were received earlier from Cairo. One train held up was in a particularly lonelv stretch and the Allied fighters dropped bombs almost from ground level. The train was raked seven times from end to end with cannon fire, and a number of enemy troops, probably returning from leave, were caught "when bolting into the desert.

The other train had 20 trucks and was carrying four heavy guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition which went up in a terrific explosion. The guns were blown to pieces.

German supply trains are among the most popular targets in the Western Desert. They consist of a Diesel engine and a number of trucks with ammunii on for the forward positions.

Tending Grounds Strafed

A Middle East communique says: "Our medium bombers and naval aircraft on Friday night attacked enemy landing grounds in the Fuka area. Buildings were set on fire and direct hits were scored on a number of grounded aircraft. Activity over the battle area yesterday was reduced to strafing attacks by our fighters. Motor transport vehiclec. tanks and tents were attacked and casualties inflicted on troops.

"In sweeps over Malta the enemy lost at least two Messerschmitts. From these and other operations three of our planes haVe not returned."

United States heavy bombers attacked shipping and dock facilities at Bengasi at noon yesterday, states a Cairo message. One near miss was scored on a transport vessel moored at the outer mole, and at least 15 heavy bombs were dropped on buildings and installations in the centre dock area. All the American planes returned undamaged.

Allied air forces in Egypt have been on the offensive in force, said an earlier message. Two of the raids were among the biggest ever carried out in the Western Desert, and by nightfall 24 Axis planes had either been destroyed or damaged. Axis transport was among the variety of targets and many vehicles were wrecked.

A Cairo communique says: "Allied air forces oarried out heavy scale attacks on enemy landing grounds in a forward area on Friday. Numerous direct hits were scored and a considerable number of enemy aircraft on the ground were destroyed or damaged by low-flying attack\ At least 10 enemy fighters were shot down and as many were damaged. Ten fighters and three bombers and a troop carrier were hit on the ground. In addition our aircraft hit 30 motor vehicles and silenced two anti-aircraft gun posts, set an aircraft on fire and exploded an ammunition dump.