AXIS TAKEN BY SURPRISE

Kaikoura Star, Volume LXII, Issue 23, 23 March 1942, Page 4

AXIS TAKEN BY SURPRISE

RAID ON RHODES ISLAND. CAIRO, Al arch 17. In a combined naval and air attack on the island of Rhodes, off the southwest’Turkish coast, the Navy took the Axis completely by surprise, and struck a blow at important objectives which will materially lessen the usefulness of the island" stronghold. This opinion is expressed by an agency representative, who was the only British correspondent to witness the operations. “As I write this dispatch aboard a British warship,” he said, “the Fleet is slipping away in the darkness, leaving the bewildered defenders still firing at the aircraft which collaborated with us. Through the smoke screen we are laying I can sec fires burning on the island.

“ Even after the ships began pouring shells at the targets on shore, the gunners continued firing at the aeroplanes and at the flares which they dropped, apparently mistaking the bombardment for a bombing raid. Then minutes had passed before they fully realised what was happening. Then the batteries opened up, and shells came whistling over us, but by then, aided by the glare of flares and star shells, we had hit important establishments in the town of Rhodes and E-boat bases and the harbour.

“Perfect co-ordination between the Navy and the Royal Air Force was a feature of this combined operation. We sailed early, and it was not until late in the afternoon, when the captain made the announcement over the ship’s loud-speaker, that we knew why we had put to sea. To reach our objectives we had to sail well into the narrow enemy waters of Rhodes or between Rhodes and Turkey. Minefields Negotiated. “The captain explained that the aircraft would drop flares and stay for the naval bombardment. All the first dav and most of the night wc bowled along at iu high speed. As we came abreast of Rhodes we slowed down so as to negotiate the minefields. Standing on the bridge, J could see the Turkish mainland looming through the dark, starry night on our right across the calm water. Suddenly an eerie glow to my left told me that the aircraft were dropping the flares before bombing the Rhodes airfield. Tracer shells and bullets rocketed skywards, from the ground defences. “Punctually we established communication with the aircraft and the atmosphere became tense as we crept towards the short*. Round me on the bridge dark figures, ghostlike in white flash helmets ami long white gauntlets,

made final adjustments to the instruments or spoke quiet orders down the voice pipes. The dim purple ami green glowing dials of the instruments were the only pinpoints of light anywhere. Then the flares dropped by the aircraft began floating down on the town of Rhodes. Red, white, and green tracer bullets shot up to meet them, but failed to hit the flares or aeroplanes. In the midst of a burst the bullets would twist and waver, indicating uncertainty on the part of the gunners. “Nearer and nearer we crept, and I. wondered how Jong it would be before we were sighted and fired at. When we were only four miles from the town one of the ships began firing star shells, which floated down over the target. in the flare we could easily make it out. I could also see the streets and houses in Rhodes and felt uneasily certain that we must lie obvious Io the

shore batteries, but if we were the defenders were so surprised that we were able to hurl the greater part of our quota of shells into the target area before they replied. Shore Batteries Fire. “Still the anti-aircraft gunners were semiing out tracers in desperate but unsuccessful attempts to put out the flares which floated to the ground, where they continued burning brightlv for a considerable time, lighting* - the surroundings with a fierce glare. 1 could also see the anti-aircraft shells bursting among the clouds. Minutes passed and then, between the shattering crashes of our broadsides, we could hear the air torn by shells from the shore batteries which were intended for us, but the splashes in the water where they fell showed that they had not got our range. “Twenty minutes after the action the Fleet was steaming away, having delivered several hundred shells weighing 10001 b at the targets. Throughout the trip I had not taken off my clothes or lifebell, and I had practically no sleep, but this is the ordinary life of the hard-worked Navy to-day.” Ihe warships which bombarded Rhodes safely reached port. A corespondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency said that it. was remarkable that the warships were not attacked, because they were at sea for two da vs. were spotted by enemy aeroplanes, and disclosed themselves within four miles of the enemy coast.