MASTERY IN AIR MAINTAINED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23495, 25 November 1941, Page 7

MASTERY IN AIR MAINTAINED

SMASHING ATTACKS BY R.A.F. ENEMY OPPOSITION GROWING (Received November 24, 9 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, November 24. The Royal Ah' Force maintains its air mastery, continuing unceasing day and night attacks, bombing, shelling, and machine-gunning enemy troops, tanks, and transport, and constantly interrupting supply lines. Axis air opposition has increased, in spite of further rains in the coastal areas hampering operations. A Royal Air Force communique issued in Cairo last night says: “Particularly successful bombing and lowflying attacks were carried out on enemy tanks, armoured fighting trucks and motor transport moving along the El Adem-Acroma road (near Tobruk). More than 100 lorries and a number of petrol tankers were destroyed, and the accumulated wreckage of the vehicles blocked the road at many points. ' , “Effective raids were made by our bombers on road communications in the Derna and El Gazala areas, as well as on concentrations of motor transport at Bir-Hacheim. __ ._ “In the Gambut zone, one Fiat CR 42 and one Heinkel 128 were destroyed on the ground. Two Junkers 88’s were shot down by our fighters. In further aerial combat, a ’ number of Messerschmitt 109’s were damaged. “A force of Macchi 202’s which approached Malta on Friday was engaged by our fighters, which damaged a number of enemy fighters, “Thirteen of our aircraft arc missing.” Attacks on Motor Convoys The attack on the supply column on the El Adem-Acroma road began with a Tomahawk raid at noon. Tomahawks blocked the road by destroying 20 vehicles and killing or wounding about 100 men. Two more squadrons strafed the column three hours later, setting fire to petrol tankers and other lorries. A squadron of Hurricane bomber? carried out the most damaging raid at dusk. They scored direct hits on four lorries with four bombs. Other members of the squadron destroyed on an average three vehicles each. One pilot described a particularly devastating raid on an east-bound Italian supply column near Tobruk. “There were hundreds of vehicles, he said. “We took them completely by surprise. We swept down to 40 feet or less and gave it to them, right down the line and then back, and them back again, shooting them up for nearly an hour, and completely wrecking the convoys. ■ . ~ . “You have seen men in the, talkies when they are shot throw up their hands and pitch forward. I saw at least 100 go down that way. We were so close we could have picked our victims. It is a pleasure to be giving these fellows a taste of their own ifiediTlie correspondent of the British United Press at desert headquarters says that mass dogfights between Tomahawks and Messerschmitts yesterday resulted In the destruction of nine Messerschmitts. Five Tomahawks of 21 have not returned to their base, but they may have landed for refuelling at'desert landing grounds. The Axis, he adds, is bringing up by aeroplanes and roads anti-tank guns, machine-guns and ammunition from rear bases. Pilots already report an increase in anti-aircraft fire.