RAID ON CORINTH CANAL

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 297, 12 September 1941, Page 7

RAID ON CORINTH CANAL

Much Damage Caused MIDDLE EAST AIR ACTIVITY

(British Official Wireless.) (Received Sept. 11, 7.5 p.tn.) - . RUGBY, Sept. 10. _ Heavy bombers o£ the Royal Air Force bombed the Corinth Canal on the night of September 8-9, says an R.A.F. Middle East communique. A number of direct hits were registered on both banks and it is estimated that? considerable, damage was caused. Ou the same night Heraklion aerodrome in Crete was attacked and landing grounds at Tmimi, Martuba, Derna and Gazala were raided. Our aircraft subsequently carried out machine-gun attacks on motor transport ou the road •between Derna and Tobruk, starting a number of petrol fires. R.A.F. fighters patrolling over shipping off the Cyrenaica coast yesterday were attacked by a large force of Messerschmitts 109, but the attack was beaten off and no subsequent raid by enemy bombers materialized. During the night of September 8-9 enemy aircraft raided Malta, but caused only slight damage to civilian property. One of our night lighters shot down a Cant Z 107 into the sea after it had. been caught in the search-, lights, Five survivors of the crew were'- captured. On the same night an unsuccessful attempt was made to raid Haifa. No . damage or casualties resulted. Enemy aircraft last night made two attacks on R.A.F. stations In the canal zene. Our night fighters on both occasions intercepted the enemy, One Junkers 88 was shot down aud another damaged. There were no R.A.F. casualties and the damage was slight. Two R.A.F. aircraft are missing fi cm all the above operations, Patrol Activity at Tobruk. A communique issued by headquarters in Cairo states: “At Tobrak our patrol activity continues, and our artillery carried out a successful shoot' against enemy positions. “A small enemy patrol which attempted to approach our line was driven off, i’ i'K : 1 “There is nothing to report in the frontier area.' -( 6 ! • i Glimpses of life in Tobruk are given in a message from Reuter's special correspondent there. At present about half the garrison js Australian, chiefly infantry, while nearly all the gunners and tank crews are from the United Kingdom. There are signs that the enemy is using second-rate airmen to attack Tobruk. A Nazi pilot shot down the other night said he had completed his training in Germany as recently as August o. He was brought down ou bis first operational flight. Large numbers of Italian guns are still being used against their former - owners, The Italians left such a huge stock of munitions that there is no risk t-f a shortage. ITALIAN TANKER SUNK Convoy En Route To Black Sea Attacked LONDON, September 10. Istanbul reports that a British submarine sank rhe Italian tanker Maya (5200 tons) as it was proceeding in convoy to the Black Sea. It is reported that an escorting plane was shot down. The rest of the convoy scattered. GERMAN THREAT TO TURKEY Increased Activity In Bulgaria LONDON .September 10. Well-informed quarters regard reports of increased German activity in Bulgaria as meaning that Germany plans to attack Turkey not later thau the end of the autumn, says the Ankara correspondent of the British United Press. The Germans are concentrating troops, ammunition, and petrol in Bulgarian ports on the Black is also rumoured that General von Brauchitsch will visit Sofia soon. German motorized units are reported to have passed through the Shipka Pass, 82 miles from the Turkish frontier.