HEAVY BOMBING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20570, 2 June 1941, Page 5

HEAVY BOMBING

ATTACKS BY R.A.F. MIDDLE EAST THEATRES GERMANS DRIVEN HOME (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, June 1. A communique issued by the Royal Air Force Headquarters in the Middle East states: “In Iraq on Friday concentrated heavy bombing attacks in close support of our troops were made by aircraft of the Royal Air Force on Washask, Rashid and enemy positions at Kadhimain. While the full details are not yet available, it is known that these attacks were highly successful. “In the eastern Mediterranean during patrols by a large force of our lighters contact was made with big formations of enemy aircraft. Two Ifeinkel Ills were shot down into the sea, one by a Free French pilot and a considerable number of other enemy aircraft were badly damaged. The enemy planes immediately took evasive action and returned with all possible speed to their bases and it is highly probably that many of them did not get back. During Thursday night our heavy bombers attacked the aerodrome on Scarpanto, causing a number of fires on the aerodrome and il.i beach at Melemi in Crete was also raided. On the same night the aerodrome at Kattavia in Rhodes was bombed but detailed results were not observed.

In Central Abyssinia, enemy positions at Azozo, Digya and between Chelga and Gondar were attacked by Free French aircraft, while the South African Air Force and the Royal Air Force harassed the enemy at Debarech and Dabat. From all these operations one of our aircraft is missing.”