RAIDS ON SICILY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 298, 13 September 1941, Page 10

RAIDS ON SICILY

R.A.F. Strafes Ports And Aerodromes THREE SHIPS HIT (British Official Wireless.) (Received Sept. .12, 7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 11.. A communique issued by Royal Air Force headquarters in the Middle East states that on Monday night R.'.A.F.- heavy bombers attacked the harbour of Palermo, the capital of Sicily. Bombs were'dropped on the docks and many hits mere scored on the three main quays and the dry dock. 1 hree large merchant ships are believed to have been damaged. Fite broke out on the northern quay, near oil storage installations. Ou the same night bombs were dropped on aerodromes at Catania, near rhe base of Mount Etna, in Sicily, and at Gerbini, also in Sicily, both objectives having been machine-gunned. Heavy 'bombers of the R.A.F. attacked the power station, ferry ships and landing stages at Messina, the Sicilian seaport, during Tuesday night. .Many direct hits were scored and’fires broke out near the commercial oil tanks. Another very big blaze was started.in the citadel area. . . . Aircraft of the Fleet Air A riu . on the same night bombed and machinegunned the aerodrome at Castel Vet-, rand, where a-large lire was started. Toll of Enemy Aircraft. Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. bombed the aerodromes at Gambut and Monastir, Yugoslavia, ou Tuesday night. At Gambut bombs fell among aircraft on the ground, two of which were destroyed and others damaged. From these operations all onr aircraft returned. Naval aircraft, co-operating with the R.A.F., continue to take toll of enemy inaehiens dispersed at night on Cyrenaican airfields, the Air Ministry states. In a week they destroyed 14 enemy aircraft without loss to themselves. The most recent raid on Gambut on Tuesday yielded to one flight commander a brace of aircraft for one stick of bombs. Two fighters were parked on each side of a tent and both machines aud the tent disappeared when the bombs fell.