NIGHT VIGIL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 255, 26 September 1942, Page 5

NIGHT VIGIL

DESERT LAND PATROLS MORE AIR~SUCCESSES (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Bept. 25. A Cairo communique Bays our patrols were active on Wednesday night and ehemy working parties and patrols were attacked and dispersed. Yesterday there was nothing to report from our land forces* Our torpedo-carrying aircraft damaged a large tanker escorted by destroyers north-west of Tobruk on \V ednesday night. Air activity over the battle area yesterday was on a small scale. We lost olio aircraft.

There was a slight increase in enemy air activity over Malta on Wednesday and Thursday. Olio Jil was destroyed—Official Wireless. MANY AXIS SHIPS SUNK.

Forty Axis cargo vessels, totalling over 00.000 tons, liaVe been sunk by the Allied Aif Forces in the Middle Fast since June and 80,000 tons have been damaged since Tobruk fell 100 days ago. Allied bombers raided it on 9 o nights and dropped <IOOO tons of bombs. On land, both sideß are striving to build up their strength and it is the job of the Allied Air Forces to destroy Axis convoys. Although at the moment the Allies have air superiority there are many unknown lactors and if. for instance, Stalingrad falls, the Axis might switch its air fofccs to Egypt, Graphic details of the recent raid on Benghazi-are given by the R.A.F. News Service.

“As well as direct hits on two ships, ono of which blew up, there was littlo in the harbour that did not receivo damage of some soft,” reported ono Allied navigator. “I was watching the sunset behind Benghazi on my way home,” said an American real-gunner, “when I saw an explosion that threw smoko, flamo and pieces of ship thousands of feet into the air. It was a big merchantman wo bad bombed about 15 minutes before.” The crews of aircraft attacking in the moonlight nearly six hours after the first raid could sco the glow from the blazing ships 80 miles away as they approached the target. They used tlio burning hull of a big merchantman as an aiming point when they dropped their bombs at the already depleted concentration of Axis shipping and started a number of other iireS ill the harbour area.—Official Wireless.