SWEPT FROM SKIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 10, 13 January 1941, Page 7

SWEPT FROM SKIES

ITALIAN PLANES

R.AFS WORK IN LIBYA

AERODROMES RAIDED

LARGE-SCALE EXPLOITS

LONDON, January 12

News from the Libyan front today concerns chiefly exploits of our airmen in a sky from which enemy opposition has notably faded. Our fighters, returning from patrols, reported today that the only enemy aircraft seen over a wide area of the front are unserviceable machines on the ground. Among them were 20 burnt-out machines on one aerodrome. Two other aerodromes were also found to have been abandoned by the Italians, who have apparently lost all interest also in the seaplane base at Bomba.

An R.A.F. communique states that during the night of January 10-11 two aerodromes were heavily raided. Bombs fell on buildings, causing large fires and a number of explosions near dispersed aircraft.

Our aircraft also raided Benghazi, and one heavy bomb hit a large building of military importance. Fires were started on the jetty, and shipping is believed to have been badly damaged. The communique states that a further air raid was made on the Caproni aircraft workshops and petrol dump. The defence positions at Berbera, Sornaliland, were raided, and aircraft on the landing ground were bombed. Numerous reconnaissance flights were carried, out, and our aircraft without exception returned safely. (British Official Wireless.) ! RUGBY, January 11. An R.A.F. Middle East communique states that during the, night of January 9-10 R.A.F. bombers raided enemy aerodromes at Benina and Berka. At Benina the runway, hangars, buildings, and dispersed aircraft were hit and fires and explosions caused. A number of enemy aircraft was destroyed at Berka as the result of bombing and considerable damage was done to barracks, hangars, and other aerodrome buildings. Our fighters maintained constant patrols of Tobruk and Derna areas yesterday. No conclusive engagements were made with the enemy.

In Italian East Africa attacks were made on Caproni workshops at Mai Adaga. Fires started in the target area. At Asmara a large number ol bombs were observed to burst among buildings, causing heavy explosions anr 1 in Tashai-Tessenei area divebombing stacks wex-e carried out on troop concentrations. An aerodrome at Mavello in Abyssinia was attacked on January 9 by South African aircraft. A large number of bombs was dropped on the target area, resulting in a fire, which spread rapidly over the aerodrome. Two aircraft were destroyed and others undoubtedly damaged. Numerous reconnaissances, from which most valuable data were obtained, were carried out. From all these and other operations in Albania our aircraft returned safely.

January 9 our troops entered Buna Turbi and the Turbi hills completely unopposed. No contact was made with the enemy in these ateas. Enemy infantry and transport were successfully bombed at Dobel Dando."

One of the remarkable features of fighting in the Elwak district is revealed in the latest cables from Nairobi. Incidents illustrate the quality of British tanks. One tank was hit directly by a shell, but showed only a short crack in the plating. Another had to pull up for a few minutes with clutch trouble right in li-ont of the Italian defence. Machine-gun bullets thudding against the tank-glanced off, while a 75 millimetre gun wias trained upon it, but the only mark is where the bulleits smashed through, the glass aperture in front of the drier's seat.