HURRICANES’ TOLL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 1 March 1941, Page 5

HURRICANES’ TOLL

ITALIAN PLANES NINE OVER VALONA FIERCE R.A.F. ASSAULT SNOWS HAMPER GREEKS (Kloc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Oflicial Wireless.) Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Feb. 28. It is officially announced from Athens that a formation of Royal Air Force bombers escorted by Hurricane fighters, yesterday attacked the aerodrome at Valona. A very large number of bombs exploded all over' the aerodrome. Hangars an administrative buildings were hit repeatedly. Seven enemy fighters were shot down in the ensuing combat and two others were destroyed when they collided in midair. All the British aircraft returned safely. A communique issued by the Royal Air Force headquarters in the Middle East states that two additional Italian aircraft were destroyed by Greek anti-aircraft fire yesterday. A Royal Air Force communique issued in Cairo states: “Bombs directly hit a concentration of motorised units at Luzati, southwards of Tepeleni. We also machine-gunned military headquarters and other targets at Fieri, an Albanian village. All our planes returned.”

Three Italian planes made a forced landing in Yugoslavia. The crew of one machine surrendered. The other machines were found at Metkovic and Domanovici.

A night communique issued by the Greek High Command in Athens says: “Restricted contact continues . An enemy force caught between our crossfire suffered severe losses. Some were taken prisoner. “Our aircraft operated most success fully. Ten feet of snow is hampering general operations at higher points in the northern sector. The Greeks dominate all the passes.”