STRAFER'S PARADISE

Evening Star, Issue 24409, 22 January 1943, Page 3

STRAFER'S PARADISE

ROADS FROM TRIPOLI A SHAMBLES R.A.F. BATTERS RETREATING ENEMY {Britiih Wifeless.) (Rec. 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY, Jan. 21. R.A.F. planes well within Tripoli are continuing their efforts against the enemy, not only between Horns and Tripoli, but further west up _to the Tunisian frontier, states a Cairo message. Yesterday t ne y bombed concentrations of troops,west of the town. In successful attacks as/far as the frontier the R.A.F. bombed and machine-gunned stationary and moving transport.' Today' the road —to Tunisia, with _ its stranded burning vehicles, is very similar to all others from El Alamein to Tripoir. • A description of the repent enemy withdrawal was given by pilots who returned to their bases during the night of Tuesday-Wednesday.' They said when the first intruders arrived there was a solid line of traffic leaving Tripoli travelling westward. In bright moonlight the traffic made great targets. Bombers attacked the roads, scoring hits on dispersed vehicles. They left fires among military stores and villages near the roadside. ' One of our bombers attacked a line of traffic a mile long. Flying along it he strafed several vehicles at the rear of the column, setting them on fire, completely blocking the road. Then a light bomber came along and bombed the other end of the line, hitting the road and blocking at. The column was jammed,, with other, vehicles piling up in a helpless jam that reached miles back towards Tripoli. One pilot said: '.'lt was a strafer's paradise. We started fires along five or * six miles of. traffic moving in dispersed groups.'' ' / '-, Other fighter aircraft, operating west of Znara located more enemy transport choking .the roads, and proceeded . methodically to.shoot it up. "Many vehicles blew up and large fires were started. So Hurried was,the enemy's withdrawal that-when night fel! he decided to risk travelling with full lights, but they were soon put out. At the first approach of aircraft they pulled swiftly off the road and dispersed. The men ran for cover while their vehicles were being machine-gunned. The pilots maintained an increasing attack until their ammunition was exhausted. By midnight the 50 miles of roadway between Tripoli and Zuara was reported to be a shambles of wrecked vehicles. The enemy had covered the withdrawal with well-prepared zones near the roadside, but this did not save him. The fighters weaved in and out dodging fire to press home their attacks. At the close of the evening there were few moving vehicles on the road in contrast to "the actiivty that .characterised the roads around Tripoli earlier on, when streams of traffic were observed moving northwards towards the coastal road,_ in addition to unending convoys moving ..westward between Tripoli and Zuara.' .East of Tripoli fighter-bombers attacked German con-'ojvs in waves, scoring three hits on vehicles, starting two large fires and two smaller ones, while' five explosions were heard near Castel Verdi. '