THE MEDITTERANEAN

Grey River Argus, 16 September 1941, Page 3

THE MEDITTERANEAN

BRITISH AIR ATTACKS In All Directions 8.0.W. RUGBY, September 14. A communique issued from the British headquarters al Cairo slates: In the Tobruk area, four fighting patrols made deep penetrations into Hie enemy position at a number oi points without making contact. As the result of our activities, enemy shelling was particularly heavy against the eastern sector of TobruK defences. Enemy bombing attacks, during the night, were continuous, but resulted in no casualties and no important damage to material. In the frontier area, enemy patrols were moving in a somewhat wider than usual aretk being successfully engaged. An R.A.F. Middle East communique states: In the Mediterranean, the highly-successful attack by aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm and the R.A.F, on an enemy convoy, announced in yesterday’s communique, continued during Friday night, when aircraft, .of the Fleet Air Arm located the remaining merchantman ana file destroyer escort, approaching Tripoli. One medium-sized merchantman was hit, brought to a standstill, and set on fire. Another vessel or the same size was also stopped, and clouds of black smoke were observed issuing from it. A third ship was possibly hit. Later, during the same night, the attack was continued by heavy bombers of the R.A.F. Two ships were left on fire, and three others were hit None of the ships in the convoy escaped damage. In Crete, the landing grounds at Heraklion and Malemi .were raided by heavy R.A.F. bombers during Friday night. At Heraklion, many bombs fell on the target, and hies and explosions were observed. Similar effective results of the bombing were seen at Malemi.

In Cyrenaica, aircraft of the South African Air Force attacked the landing grounds at Gambut and Gazala, on Friday. On Friday night, Fleet Air Arm bombers raided the Bardia and Gambut landing grounds. At Bardia, fires broke out among dumps I and stores, and at Gambut - a direct i hit was scored op one aircraft, and others were damaged. A large fire started on the landing ground, where petrol containers were ablaze. The aerodromes at Serbini and Catania, in Sicily, .were again attacked on the night of September 12/13. when the Fleet Air Arm machine-gunned dispersed aircraft and aerodrome buildings at both objectives. In Aoyssinia, the R.A.F. bombed enemy positions south of Gondar on September 13. From all thes e operations, none of ours is missing. RA.F. night fighters in the Middle East had another successful series of operations during the night of September when two bombers were brought down in flames. Ihe first was brought down south-east of Suez by a member of a night lighter squadron which already has a number of German raiders to its credit, says the Nows Service. Iho other raider to be destroyed was shot down in the Western Desert, the victim being an Italian Savoia bomber. A sergeant-major .who was sleeping in a tent not more than 30 yards from the spot where the bomber crashed, haA a narrow escape. Ho said: “After the bombs and petrol had exploded, pieces of the wreck fell down about us. but it was wortn it. We had ringside seats.” FLEET AIR ARM. MEDITERRANEAN SUCCESSES RUGBY. Sept. . 14. The British Navy continues tirelessly to harass the Axis efforts at sea.’The continntd successes by submarines in the Mediterranean weie followed bv air attacks off Norway. An Admiraltv communique says: Furtiier successful action has been taken bv the Royal Navy against enemy supplies and sea communication ’ with his troops on the north Russian front. At dawn on Friday, carrier-borne na\ al aircraft attacked enemy shipping in the Bodo area of the Norwegian coast and military oojectives in the vicinity. One enemy supply ship of about 2000 tons was sunk' and other ships damaged. Aluminium works were hit and set on fire, and an electric power station was also bombed. From these attacks all our aircraft returned.

MEDITERRANEAN SUPREMACY RUGBY. Sept. 14. Speaking at Nottingham of the work of the Navy, Mr Alexander (First Lord of the Admiralty) said: “We have established naval supremacy in the Mediterranean, which is best illustrated by the essential convoys which have passed through these waters, but our main pre-occu-pation is and must be the Battle of the Atlantic. We have got to bring food, raw materials, for factories and finished munitions of war from our Dominions and the United States. There is a minimum amount of imports which must come in, and it is the Navy’s job to see that it does come in. That is the Battle of the Atlantic. It is a battle which never ceases. It is on all the time. Sometimes it goes well for us;.at other times not so well. Recently, it has gone very well, but at any moment there may break a bad spell. The battle is certainly not vet won. It is from the South and West Atlantic, right round this island and up ana down the North Sea, and the English Channel. Unceasing vigilance, the trying out of new ideas, above all the provision of new construction in the shape of escort itself, as well as the speedy repair or damaged merchant ships, are essentials of victory.” Mr Alexander’ concluded: “Over the oceans comes pouring in help in men and materials which spells defeat for Hitler, so that he is driven to concentrate against our shipping. The attack is fierce, and may well grow' fiercer, but the evidence of two years gives us confidence to believe that it will be won.”