12 Axis Planes Wrecked On Tripoli Airfield

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 264, 6 November 1941, Page 5

12 Axis Planes Wrecked On Tripoli Airfield

HEAVY R.A.F. RAIDS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Nov. 4. A successful raid was made on the enemy aerodrome at Castel Benito, south of Tripoli, by R.A.F. bomber aircraft during Sunday night, reports today’s R.A.F. Middle East communique. Twelve enemy aircraft on the ground were set ablaze, and fires were started among hangars and administrative buildings. For four hours, the aerodrome was overwhelmed by R.A.F. bombers, states the Air Ministry news service. Many aircraft swept over the landing-ground and pelted it with numerous high-ex-plosives and incendiary bombs. Enemy aircraft on the ground disintegrated in flying fragments or flared up in sudden bonfires, jjouring out clouds of black smoke from their full petrol tanks as bombs were pitched among them.

The administrative buildings and barrack blocks were reduced to masses of crumbled masonary, and the hangars were set alight. Two petrol trailers and ammunition dumps also were hit and added more fire and destruction to the scene.

Enemy fighters which attempted to intervene were driven off by the British gunners, and at least one was sent crashing to the ground. The raid was carried out with systematic deliberation, and no section of the dispersal area was left uncovered. After all the bombs had been dropped, the gunners poured hundreds of bullets into aircraft on the ground and the aerodrome buildings.

One observer said: “There were 12 aircraft burning on the ground when we arrived. We set fire to some more, and, in the light made by the flames, we saw others apparently untouched, but they did not stay long like that. ’ ’ A sulphur factory at Licata, in Sicily, was again raided by naval aircraft during (Sunday night, and hits were scored on the factory. A wireless station at Cape Passero, in Sicily, was machine-gunned on Sunday, and further machine-gun attacks were carried out on the following day on goods trains at Noto and Rosolini.

From these and other operations, two British aircraft are missing. In the Tobruk area, according to today’s communique from British General Headquarters at Cairo, enemy aerial activity has slightly increased. There were and machinegunning attacks yesterday, but no damage and no casualties resulted. Enemy shelling has slightly decreased in all sectors. In the frontier area, there has been normal activity, with no incidents of importance to report.