HAIL OF BOMBS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 157, 29 March 1941, Page 11

HAIL OF BOMBS

Planes Play Part In Subduing Keren 120 TONS DROPPED Machines Seek Out Enemy In Mountain Lairs (British Official Wireless.) .(Received March 28, 7.5 p.m.) . RUGBY, March 27. . The part played by the R.A.F. I and the South African Air Force I in the capture of Keren is described • by an Air Ministry bulletin which says that during the past week enemy positions in the hills round Keren have been heavily and persistently bombed. Nearly 40 tons of bombs were dropped in this area in the last four days and more than 120 tons in the last 12 days. Aircraft have been over the target most of these days from morning till night. S.A.A.F. lighters have also been active in the area and yesterday, not 'ffiany hours before the town fell, two of them engaged and destroyed two CR42’s. The Air Force’s contribution to the successful operations is remarkable in view of the difficult flying conditions. The town itself is surrouned by tiers of mountains between 6000 and 7000 feet high, and it is among these that the aircraft had to seek out and destroy the enemy positions. Referring to the whole African theatre of war, an R.A.F. Middle East communique states: Formations of the R.A.F. and South African bombers continued to carry out severe attacks on the Addis Ababa-Jibuti railway yesterday, causing heavy damage to the track, rolling-stock and bridges. Between Miesso and Awash five trains were bombed and machine-gunned and trucks were set on fire by one formation, which also attacked and severely damaged a large number of enemy motor transport vehicles. A train in the station at Bicket was dive-bombed and hit repeatedly, and a train in a cutting machine-gunned. Hits were observed on station buildings and a railway bridge 15 miles west of Gota.

South African bombers heavily bombed three trains at Awash and another west of the town. On the night of March 25-26 R.A.F. fighters machine-gunned and badly damaged a number of enemy motor transport vehicles near Gondar.

In Albania six enemy bombers escorted by 20 G5O fighters were intercepted by a small formation of R.A.F. fighters near Paramythia yesterday and, in the ensuing engagement, several of the enemy were severely damaged. From all operations our planes returned safely.