PATROL ACTIVITY

Evening Star, Issue 24296, 10 September 1942, Page 5

PATROL ACTIVITY

THE EGYPTIAN FRONT ENEMY DESTROYER DAMAGED IN MEDITERRANEAN (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 9.30 a.in.) RUGBY, Sept. 9. A Cairo communique states: On Monday night our patrols wore active on the whole front. There wore machine-gun exchanges on __ the northern and central sectors. Yesterday there was nothing to report from our land forces. Our fighters shot down at least four enemy aircraft and destroyed a fifth on the ground. They also* attacked enemy transports. In attacks on an enemy convoy in the Mediterranean on Monday night our aircraft damaged a destroyer ana two merchantmen. BY LAND AND SEA CONTINUED ALLIED AIR ACTIVITY (Rec. 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 9. A fight occurred over the battle area yesterday between a number of R.A.D. fighters and 20 Junkers 87's escorted by German and Italian fighters. The combat took place at a low altitude. One Stuka and two Messerschniitts 109 were shot down and many others were damaged and probably destroyed. Only one pilot made a forced landing. This he did on a British minefield, from which he was rescued. An agency correspondent states that there has been great activity in the Mediterranean between Apollonia and Solium. On Monday night a southbound convoy in the Central Mediter-

ranean, consisting of three large vessels and two smaller ones, with an escort of seven destroyers, was sighted and attacked by bombers and torpedo-carrying aircraft throughout the night. The results were difficult to observe, but one bomber claimed two or three hits on a destroyer. A fairly large fire was also noticed. Another bomber sighted one large vessel and a smaller one, escorted by three destroyers. Bombs were observed to burst near the large vessel. The attack, carried out by light bombers of the Australian Air Force, continued until the vessels were within 40 miles of Tobruk. Four direct hits were scored on ono vessel, which_ listed heavily, while a destroyer which went to the stricken ships' assistance was later seen steaming in circles, possibly picking up survivors. A number of enemy lorries were destroyed or damaged. One load of petrol went up in flames. A staff car was hit and an armoured car overturned when fighters made a big attack on tho coastal road between Solium and Mersa Matruh. R.A.F. APPOINTMENT (Rec. 11.21 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 9. Air Vice-Marshal H. P. Lloyd has been appointed senior staff officer at headquarters of tho R.A.F. in the Middle East. ALLIED AIR SORTIES TOBRUK HOW THE MOST BOMBED PORT LONDON, September 9. It is officially stated that R.A.F. medium and heavy bombers alone carried out no fewer than 289 sorties in last week’s desert fighting, when more than 1,000,0001 b of bombs were dropped on the Afrika Korps and Italian advanced elements. Since the Alamein line was formed on June 23 Allied heavy and medium bombers have made more than 4.oC9'sorties, dropping more than 5,000 tons of bombs. Tobruk has succeeded Benghazi as the most bombed port in Africa. In day and ni'dit raids more than 3,000 tons of bombs have been dropped on its supply ships, docks, and harbour installations. OBJECTIVES ALL GAINED HECTIC DAYS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS CASUALTIES REPORTED HOT HEAVY (N.Z.JG.F. Official War Correspondent) CAIRO, September 8. Seven days of tense action, seven days of fierce, intermittent infantry fighting, and constant artillery action, and seven days of being dive-bombed by day and night have now ended for tho Now Zealanders. They have contributed much to the Eighth Army’s spectacular defeat of Field-Marshal Rommel when just a week ago be launched his full-scale attack in another determined effort to drive to the Nile. Gunnuis of the New Zealand field artillery, gunners of tho six-pound anti-tank batteries, and the men behind tho Bofors nck-aek guns have played a part of the greatest importance. They have had more work to do in the past week than over before. And so did the infantry and cavalry with their new ” Honey ” tanks.

The action of tho past week has boon the toughest and tho most exhausting the New Zealanders have fought since they returned to tho desert from Syria. This time there is not a sorry tale to tell of the overrunning of brigades by tanks. Tin’s time it is a brighter picture, and the casualties reported are not heavy. Tho New Zealanders did their usual sound job when asked to attack. They did so. too, with the usual telling effect and gained all their objectives, Just as they have done in every action. RAID IN STRENGTH.

On the night before Rommel made his thrust with his Afrika Korps—the Fifteenth and Twenty-first Panzer Division and the Ninetieth Light—down in the south below the New Zealand positions, the New Zealanders carried out a spectacular and successful raid. They raided in strength, did a great deal of destruction, and brought baek many prisoners. They repeated the performance on the next night, but this time there were no pri-

sonors—at least, just ono German for identification. While the New Zealand 25-pounders and six-pounders knocked out tanks and armoured cars, the New Zealand ack-ack gunners brought down plane after plane as the Luftwaffe carried out raid- after raid. Tho biggest, most successful, and most spectacular action for the New Zealanders came last Thursday night when, with British troops, they launched attacks. The New Zealanders were on both sides of a British force which was fighting its first desert action. It was a silent night attack, with the bayonet, upsupported by an artillery barrage in tho early stages By midnight there was fierce hand-to-hand fighting as tho New Zealanders pushed on under a hail of mortar fire. For three hours the battle raged, and the New Zealanders gained all their objectives. BATTERED ENEMY. Next day came tho anticipated and solid counter-attacks by Italians in force, supported by tanks. They came at tlio New Zealanders in three solid attacks, but the terrific (ire-power and deadly and accurate laying of the New Zealand gunners destroyed the tanks and drove the attackers back. Tho enemy tried from three different directions to dislodge the New Zealanders from their newly-won ground, but they refused to budge. While enemy infantry and tanks were thrown in against the New Zealand positions, Stnkas roared overhead to dive-bomb relentlessly. All day Friday the dive-bombing and infantry attacks continued, but the New Zealanders stood firm, just as they always do. They crashed hack at the enemy with terrific fire-power, and by the end of the day, the battered and bewildered enemy threw in the towel.