AIR OFFENSIVES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 40, 17 February 1941, Page 8

AIR OFFENSIVES

THE MIDDLE EAST

GOOD WORK IN ITALIAN SOMALILAND

BRITISH BOMBERS

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received February 17, 2 p.m.) RUGBY, February 16. A communique issued from R.A.E headquarters in the Middle East say that on the night of February 14-11 heavy bombers attacked Lindos har bour, on the Island of Rhodes. A num ber of fires were started when bomb fell among buildings. In Albania, despite. unfavourabli weather, further heavy raids were car ried out in the Buzi area. A military camp, supply dumps, gun emplace ments, and a main road were amonj targets which were effectively bombed Great confusion was caused when < stick of bombs fell on a motor trans port mule column. Offensive patrol; were also undertaken in the Tepelen area. In Eritrea British aircraft continuec to attack enemy troop concentrations motor transport, and other military ob jectives. Hangars and workshops ai Maiadaga were bombed and a numbei of fires were started. In Abyssinia a large motor-transpori park at Dessie was successfully attacked. In Italian Somaliland, South Africar aircraft continued to harass the re treating enemy. Enemy motor trans^ port vehicles over the Kismayu Mogdishu road and also a number oi enemy aircraft landing on the ground were machine-gunned. From all the operations two aircraft failed to return.

Further details of the South African Air Force operations in Italian Somaliland where they prepared the way for the army which captured Afmadu and Kismayu show that severe bombing induced the Italians to vacate Afmadu, which for two hours on the evening of February 10 was swept by the South African Air Force, Direct hits were scored on enemy defensive positions with bombs, and trenches were heavily machine-gunned. The operation was carried out with the utmost precision. As soon as one wave of bombers had spent its allotted time over the target! the next wave was arriving. Subse-I quent inspection showed that the South Africans had done their job of smashing the defences with remarkable accuracy.

A few days after the attack on Afmadu the same squadron carried out another successful raid on Kismayu. The accuracy of the bombing was again clearly shown, for it succeeded in destroying with a direct hit a pontoon bridge over the Juba River between the villages of Gowen and Jumbo This was done in spite of some of the heaviest anti-aircraft fire encountered in Italian Somaliland.

Another South African squadron on February 13 attacked Barda, bombing trench schemes, and setting fire to scrub surrounding heavily camouflaged administrative buildings. A fortress ne«r the town was attacked, and a wireless station was silenced. Sticks of bombs fell near the living quarters ;:nd Italian troops and other fortifications were machine-gunned and bombed.