HEAVY BLOWS STRUCK

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23446, 29 September 1941, Page 5

HEAVY BLOWS STRUCK

R.A.F. Raids Over Europe DEVASTATION IN RHINELAND (Received September 28. 11.30 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, September 28. When two forces of bombers escorted by fighters made daylight attacks over northern France to-day they met more enemy aircraft than had been encountered for a long time. Twenty-one enemy fighters were shot down for the loss of 14 British fighters. The pilots of three fighters are sate. All our bombers returned safely. The targets were railway centres at Amiens and La Bassee. Extensive damage was done in both attacks. An Air Ministry communique says that although unfavourable weather continued to hamper operations, aircraft of the Bomber Command attacked objectives at Cologne and elsewhere in western Germany last night. The docks at Calais and Dunkirk were also bombed. One of our aircraft is missing. Forty thousand people evacuated from the Rhineland to escape bombing by the Royal Air Force have arrived in Amsterdam. The Germans have made arrangements to house still more evacuees in Holland. The Rhineland has been seriously damaged, according to Dutch sources, and Dusseldorf resembles Rotterdam after the German bombing. On Friday afternoon British fighter aircraft made a sweep over the Channel and attacked four_ enemy minesweepers and two anti-aircraft ships. Two of the minesweepers were left afire. Other patrols sank a small enemy patrol ship off Cherbourg. There were no British losses. Air activity over Britain last night was again on a very small scale. The official communique says there was little enemy activity and only a few bombs dropped. Some houses were damaged, and at one place in East Anglia a small number of people were injured. The Beaufighter, Britain s latest twin-engined fighter, with four cannons and six machine-guns, has for some months been a valuable part of the striking force of the Coastal Command of the Royal Air Force, states the Air Ministry. The most spectacular success of a Coastal Command Beaufightei] in single combat was when one intercepted a Focke-Wulf Condor which was apparently waiting off a convoy. The fight lasted for two seconds. The Beaufighter’s pilot opened it with a short burst, and before he could take his finger off the gun button the Condor had disappeared. THE BRITISH IN EGYPT BIG CONCENTRATIONS OF TROOPS OPERATIONS SAID TO BE IMMINENT LONDON, September 27. Reporting big concentrations of British troops in Egypt, the Milan newspaper “Popolo d’ltalia” says that important operations in North AfrLa are imminent. Axis aircraft are constantly bombing the road between Jarabub and the Siwa Oasis, over which there are considerable movements of British forces. The Cairo correspondent of the “New York Times” says the Axis is trying to get ships across the Mediterranean and simultaneously is bombing the Suez Canal night after night, in an attempt to plug the stream of munitions flowing in ever increasing volume from the United States and the British Empire. For all its activities the Axis has not closed the ’canal or paralysed the ports. LIBYAN PORTS BATTERED MIDDLE EAST BOMBERS ACTIVE TRIPOLI AND BENGHAZI ATTACKED LONDON. September 27. A communique issued by the Royal Air Force Middle East Command states that Tripoli and Benghazi were raided on the nights of September 25 and 26, Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm also took part in the operations at Tripoli, where considerable damage was done. Bombs fell on barrack blocks near the power station, and in the harbour area searchlight positions were machine-gunned. At Benghazi shipping and the harbour installations were attacked. Direct hits were obtained on vessels, and fires broke out. Bombs also fell at the bases of the Central, Cathedral, and Juliana moles. In daylight operations in Libya and Tripolitania our aircraft bombed motor transports on the coast road east of Sirte. A number of lorries were blown up and a petrol lorry blown off the road, while other vehicles were set on fire. Direct hits were obtained on motor transport concentrations. Between Tripoli and the Tunisian frontier bomber aircraft of the Royal Air Force alfeo attacked motor transports and machine-gunned aircraft on the ground. Merchantmen were sighted off Tripoli, and one ship which received two hits exploded and sank in flames. Another ship was probably damaged by a near miss. All the vessels in the convoy were machinegunned. Aircraft of the South African Air Force effectively bombed a petrol dump and the camp near the landing ground at Gambut. The harbour at Palermo was raided by heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the night of September 24, Bombs hit .the dry dock and many fires broke out nearby. In Abyssinia, our aircraft machinegunned enemy troops in the Debaroa area. From all these operations our aircraft returned safely. PATROLS ACTIVE AT TOBRUK LONDON, September 27. A communique on the war in the Middle East issued from headquarters at Cairo to-day states that in the western sector of Tobruk yesterday our artillery effectively engaged an enemy working party. During the_ night our patrolling activity was continued. In the frontier area there is nothing of importance to report. SOUTH AFRICANS IN MERSA MATRUH LONDON, September 26. It is now revealed from Cairo that South African troops have been occupying Mersa Matruh for four months without incurring a single casualty. The South Africans are securely entrenched in the ruined town, and the incessant enemy raids and bombing had proved just a waste of ammunition.