MALTA BATTLE

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1942, Page 5

MALTA BATTLE

INTEREST IN BRITAIN. RUGBY, March 12. Intense interest has been aroused here in the dingdong air battle, which is taking place over Malta.Official communiques have been laconic, and yesterday indicated that f attacks during March 10 were on a very restricted scale, but during the early part of the current week, the enemy attacks were ■■ particularly non-stop, day and night. The enemy’s feverish efforts to control the skies over the central Mediterranean by destroying the Malta air grounds, is demonstrated by the fact that in some attacks, over one hundred enemy aircraft have been engaged. Local excitement became intense on Monday, when it was known that Spitfires had arrived, and entered the battle, and the inhabitants incautiously left shelters in the hope of catching sight of them in action, but they were operating high up, far out of sight, as the top layer of a huge “club sandwich.” Below them'Were the protecting Messerschmitts endeavouring to fight off the Hurricanes immediately beneath, which, in turn, were harrassing the bombers forming the bottom layer of the - sandwich.

Not since the Battle of Britain has the public imagination been so deeply stirred by the long-sustained air encounter, in which the defence has been so effective, that time after time, the enemy has been beaten off with heavy, casualties.