WAY PREPARED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 21 November 1941, Page 5

WAY PREPARED

GUNS OF NAVY AIR FORCE BOMBS AXIS POSTS PLASTERED LESSON IN FEROCITY ,Elec. Tel. Copyright—l United Press Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 21, noon.) LONDON, Nov. 20. The navy and the Royal Air Force laid the ground work of the advance in Cyrenaica. From a score of desert airfields hundreds of British and American bombers and fighters on Monday attacked every forward landing field. Gazaia, where General Rommel’s dive-bombers were concentrated, was plastered throughout the day and also Italian headquarters between Tobruk and Bardia, and the coastal road where a score of supply lorries were caught and burnt out. Towards evening the navy, which previously bombarded points on the Libyan coast, swept in again, turning a full-scale Gin. gun barrage on Halfaya Pass and also enemy positions at Solium.

The British planes engaged are Wellingtons, Marylands, Blenheims, Albacores, Bostons, Beaufighters, Tomahawks, Martlets and Hurricanes. They are attacking a variety of targets with a ferocity never yet seen or experienced in North Africa. The Beaufighters scored a striking success in their first big engagement in the Middle East and shot down five troop carriers, Junker 52s in flames in the Martuba area.

This battle is truly representative of the Empire. South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders and Canadians are fighting side by side with air crews from the United Kingdom. A French squadron is there too. Mass flights of Royal Air Force bombers and fighters have inflicted tremendous damage on the enemy in continuous assaults since the opening of the offensive, reports the Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain. Australian and South African airmen participated in raids on the enemy positions for days prior to the advance. The navy co-operated by bombing Halfaya Pass and Solium. A message from the Middle East Headquarters states: “As the first light approached on November 18 a small group of fighter pilots, after listening to Mr. Winston Churchill’s stirring message, clambered into the cockpits of their planes and set out on a gigantic sweep of the enemy positions. Circling overhead, they were joined by other aircraft and in battle formation headed northwards to begin a ceaseless 12 hours of hammering on the German and Italian positions in which they shot down 18 enemy aircraft, including five Junkers troopcarriers and also attacked enemy motor transport and armoured fighting vehicles bogged in the soft sand, and heavily raided Tmimi, Derna, Martuba, Agedabia, Bomba and Benghazi.”

A Royal Air Force communique issued in Cairo states: “During patrols over Cyrenaica we destroyed 18 planes. We also successfully mach-ine-gunned motor transports on the Benina road. Naples and Brindisi were again raided. The weather prevented full observation of the results, but bombs were seen to burst on the Naples marshalling 'yards and also targets in the town. We attacked merchant shipping in the central Mediterranean and directly hit a medium-sized ship which was left aflame after an explosion. One of our machines is missing.” Further news- of the support which the Royal Air Force and South African Air Force are giving the Empire forces advancing into Cyrenaica is contained in a Royal Air Force communique from the Middle East which states: “In close co-operation with the Imperial land forces, our aircraft were in action over the frontier zone of the Western Desert throughout yesterday (Wednesday). Enemy tanks and motor transport moving westward along the Capuzzo-Sollum road and in the Gambut, Sidi Azeiz, Bardia and El Adam areas were heavily bombed. “Four Junkers 88s -and two Messerschmitt 109 s were destroyed at Tmimi and other enemy aircraft fvere severely damaged. An attack was carried out by fighter aircraft of the South African Air Force on the aerodrome at Sidi Azeiz when several Italian fighters burst into flames and others were catching fire as our aircraft left. Enemy motor transport on the road from El Aghila was effectively machine - gunned, many vehicles being extensively damaged. “During the night of Tuesday to Wednesday bomber aircraft of the Royal Air Force raided Tripoli, where a power station and harbour installations were attacked. On the same night Royal Air Force bombers raided Naples and Brindisi. At Naples hits were registered on docks and marshalling yards and fires broke out in the dock area at Brindisi.

“From all of these operations three of our aircraft are missing.”