HEAVY BOMBING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20638, 19 August 1941, Page 5

HEAVY BOMBING

SICILIAN HARBOURS BARRACKS SET ABLAZE AIRFIELDS ATTACKED (Elec. Tel Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 18. “In Sicily, aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm carried out a successful attack on the harbour of Syracuse on Saturday night,” states a communique issued by Royal Air Force headquarters in the Middle East. “Bombs were dropped from a low altitude on the central mole and railway sidings, starting several fires which finally became one intense blaze, with the flames rising 300 ft. A number of violent explosions accompanied the fire, which lit up the whole harbour area. Considerable damage must have been done to shipping. “The same formation dropped a number of incendiary bombs on the barracks at Cape Passero which caused a heavy detonation, followed by a fire which was still visible from the aircraft when they were about 70 miles away on the homeward journey. “Hurricane fighters machine-gunned seaplanes in the harbour at Syracuse yesterday, destroying one Cant Z 506 and severely damaging a number of others. “In Abyssinia, aircraft of the South African Air Force bombed and machine - gunned Wolchefit and Debarech and obtained hits on forts, buildings and trenches. All our aircraft returned safely from the above operations.” A communique issued by General Headquarters, Cairo, states: “In Libya there was - consider able enemy bombing at Tobruk. Our patrols continued activities steadily and inflicted losses upon the enemy. In the frontier area normal patrolling were continued.”