ATTACK ON GENOA

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1941, Page 5

ATTACK ON GENOA

BY BRITISH FLEET Other Italian Cities Bombed [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, February 9. An Admiralty communique slates: More detailed information received concerning our operations against the Italian bases in the Gulf of Genoa shows that the bombardment and bombing were even more successful than at first thought. Our forces, under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville, consisted of the “Renown,” “Malaya,” “Ark Royal,” - and “Sheffield,/ with light forces in company. Military targets in and around Genoa were subjected to a bombardment, ■in which 300 shells were fired. The following results were observed: The Ansaldo electric works and the Ansaldo boiler works were heavily hit, and large fires were started. The ports main power station, which also supplies power for the railways, was severely damaged, and set bn fire. M'any hits were also made on dry docks, warehouses, and the harbour works surrounding the inner harbour. Here considerable fires broke out. the main oil fuel installation and oil tanks were repeatedly hit, also a number of supply ships and the main goods yard and railway. Several tons of bombs and a large number of incendiaries were dropped by naval aircraft on the oil refinery at Leghorn, and other targets in the vicinity. The refinery is one of the largest and most-important oil plants in Italy. Other naval aircraft attacked Pisa, where the aerodrome and railway junction were hit. This railway junction is the intersection of the main west coast railway from Genoa to Rome and the south, and is one of the most-important routes across the Peninsula from Leghorn to Bologna and Venice. Two Italian aircraft which attempted to interfere, were shot down.

One of our Swordfish aircraft is missing. No other casualties were suffered by our forces in the course of these most-successful operations.