NAPLES HEAVILY BOMBED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23477, 4 November 1941, Page 7

NAPLES HEAVILY BOMBED

R.A.F. RAID LASTS SIX HOURS FACTORIES AND STATION AMONG TARGETS (Received November 3, 11 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, November 3. Naples was heavily bombed by the Royal Air Force on Friday night for the fifth time in two weeks. Wave after wave of heavy bombers flew over the port and many tons of bombs were dropped. Among the targets were a torpedo factory, an air frame factory, and the railway station. The weather was bad and enemy night fighters were up, but their attempts at interception failed as all the British aircraft returned safely. Palermo, in Sicily, was raided on the same night. A power station, a dry dock, and the moles at the seaplane base were heavily bombed.

Six hits were scored on an enemy merchantman in the Mediterranean during a night attack and the vessel was last seen with clouds of smoke pouring from it and a destroyer standing by. A Royal Air Force Middle East communique states that military objectives at Benghazi and Derna were i attacked by bombers of the South African Air Force. At Benghazi, the cathedral mole was the principal objective. At <Derna. the harbour and aerodrome were raided. Bombs fell in the dock area and near a powerhouse, and fires broke out at the aerodrome. Four aircraft were set ablaze. There were other large fires, accompanied by violent explosions. A. building near a hangar was set alight. Heavy Royal Air Force bombers attacked the hangars at Berea aerodrome on the night of October 31. Fires broke out in the hangar blocks and spread, owing to a series of explosions which followed. Fires and explosions were also seen during a raid on v the El Gazala aerodrome.

On October 31 the Royal Air Force attacked a factory at Licata, in Sicily. Direct hits were observed. In Abyssinia, enemy positions east of Gondar were effectively bombed and machine-gunned. From all these operations all the British aircraft returned safely. Cairo had an air raid alert last night, when a few bombs were dropped in the suburbs. AIR ATTACKS ON ENEMY SHIPS TWENTY DAMAGED OR SUNK R.A.F. SUCCESSES IN THREE NIGHTS (Received November 3. 9 a.m.) LONDON, November 2. The constant patrolling of the European coast by British aircraft has accounted for 20 enemy ships badly damaged or sunk in the last three nights. On Sunday morning two, or possibly four, were sunk by Beaufort bombers, which have been patrolling the whole of the western European coastline. The Air Ministry News Service adds that the total may be higher, as some pilots, because of bad weather, were unable to see what happened after they had dropped their bombs. A Canadian squadron which knocked out six ships on Friday, ■ night accounted for two more large ships and a possible third on Sunday morning in a scries of low-level attacks, on convoys off the Dutch coast. A sergeant pilot flew his Hudson out of a rain storm over the convoy, his front guns blazing, as he swooped on the heavily-laden ship and unloaded a stick of delayed-action bombs. “Then,” said the sergeant, “the whole sky , was lit up as two bombs burst, and the ship seemed to disappear into thin air. I had never seen anything like it before.” , , A second Hudson also scored two hits on a ship, and the rear-gunner saw a red glow which indicated that fire had broken out. The third ship to be attacked was flying a protective balloon, but a Hudson went down to mast height, avoided the cable, and dropped its bombs. As the aircraft flew away the rear-gunner saw steam rising from amidships and a hit is believed to have been scored. Saturday’s daring torpedo attack by a Beaufort at La Pallice was repeated on Sunday morning, when a Beaufort attacked a ship lying stationary. It raced in and dropped a torpedo at close range. When it turned away the torpedo was running straight towards the ship. Just then enemy guns opened fire, and the rear gunner of the Beaufort. blinded by flashes, lost sight of the toroedo. but it was considered that it would score a hit. ... On Saturday night, the R °y a *. u A *F Force carried out raids on nortnern France. A railway junction was bombed, and a column of smoke rose 4000 feet in the air from the shunting yards. In north-west Germany Kiel and other centres were attacked and the docks at Le Havre, Brest, and St. Nazaire were also bombed. Fotir British aircraft are missing from these operations. SINGLE RAIDERS OVER BRITAIN (8.0 W.) RUGBY, November 3. An official communique says that in the early part of last evening a small number of single enemy aircraft dropped bombs at a few isolated points in the east of Scotland aqd in East Anglia. Slight damage was caused at one point. “U.S. IN FIGHT TO FINISH” NAVY SECRETARY’S STATEMENT SINKING OF SHIPS WORSE THAN PIRACY NEW YORK, November 2. The Secretary of the United States Navy (Colonel Frank Knox), addressing marine graduates at Quantico, Virginia, said the sinking of American ships was worse than piracy. “We are in this fight to the finish, he said. “If what men are fighting Hitler for is not right, then there is no point in living at all. The conditions incite every self-respecting man to desire to have a part in the fight.” Tobacco Prices Rise in Australia. — Following the increases in customs and excise duties on manufactured tobacco announced in the Australian Budget, retail prices of cigarettes are to be increased to-day by one penny for a small packet. Tobacco will be one penny an ounce dearer. —Sydney, November 8. T.U.C. Delegates Return from Russia. —Sir Walter Citrine, jeneral secretary of the Trades Union Congress, and the Trades Union Congress delegates who visited Russia, have returned. Sir Waller Citrine said: “Our visit was worthwhile. «II will strengthen the bonds between the British and Russian workers in the successful prosecution of the war,”— Londqn, November 2.