CORINTH CANAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20636, 16 August 1941, Page 6

CORINTH CANAL

CLOSED BY R.A.F. j CRETE ’DROME RAIDED SICILY BASE BOMBED (Elec. Tel Copyright—United ITesa Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. 15Heavv Royal Air Force attacks have closed the Corinth Canal, according to a Royal Air Force Middle East communique which .states: "On the nigh* I of August 13—14 bomber aircraft of; the Royal Air Force carried out heavy bombing attacks on the Corinth Canal with a view to preventing its use. by enemy shipping. Subsequent examination of photographs shows that considerable landslides were caused on the banks of the canal by bombs and that these would be sufiicienl to prevent the passage of enemy shipping for some considerable time. “Our aircraft also dropped a number of bombs on the aerodrome at I-lerak-lion in Crete. “A force of heavy bombers also attacked Trinoli on the night of August 13 —14. Hits were obtained on Government buildings and anti-aircraft gun positions. Submarine Base Hit “Swordfish aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm raided the submarine base at Augusta in Sicily on the night of August 13—14. Two hits were observed on a submarine jetty and a large fire broke out on a quay. Other Swordfish aircraft bombed barrack blocks at Syracuse, starting a fire which spread over a large area and caused two explosions. In tlfe course of the operations reconnaissance of Syracuse harbour showed that a merchant vessel attacked by Swordfish aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm on the •night of August 10—11 had sunk. “Attacks have been made on Wolchafit and Gondar. At Wolchafit enemy trenches and buildings were bombed on August 14. On the previous day at Gondar two direct hits were made on buildings near military headquarters and three on a remaining depot which started a number of fires.” "From all of these operations one of our aircraft is missing.”