R.A.F. REPLIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 17 May 1941, Page 6

R.A.F. REPLIES

NAZI PLANES ON SYRIAN AERODROMES ACTIVITIES IN MIDDLE EAST [British Official WirelessJ (Rec. 1.0 p.m.) Rugby, May 16. The R.A.F. Middle East General Headquarters reports attacks on Nazi aircraft on three Syrian aerodromes. The communique states that heavy attacks were made on enemy mechanised units and troop concentrations in Cyrenaica. Yesterday between Solium : and Halfaya the enemy was constantly i harassed by bomb attacks. Between 1 Bardia and Tobruk our lignters ma- ! chine-gunned motor transport, eaus ng | considerable damage. They destroyed | ammunition and petrol lorries. Our • fighters engaged and damaged seveial 1 enemy aircraft. During the night of 14th and 15th ! R.A.F. bombers raided Benghazi and j Genina. Large fires were caused anu a series of very heavy explosions took place. In Abyssinia in an attack on Amba Alagi aircraft of the Rhodesian Squadron carried out a series of raids. The fort at Toselli was attacked and ton hits registered. Air support waj also , .given to our troops operating in central 1 Abyssinia. The Gondar aerodrome was bombed by Free French aircraft. Some enemy fighters on the ground were severely damaged. In Iraq aircraft of the fleet air arm successfully attacked military barracks at Samawa and a large number of bombs fell inside the compound. IN SYRIA German aircraft on three Syrian . aerodromes were attacked yesterday. At . Palmyra three Junkers 90’s and two ; other German aircraft and one CR 42 . v/as machine-gunned. At least three of . these aircraft were severely damaged [ and one other burned out. Similar attacks were made on Damascus and . Rayak. German-occupied aerodromes in . Greece were raided on the night of r 14th-15th. Full details are not availi able, but preliminary reports state that [ large fires were started at aerodromes , and a considerable number of enemy 3 aircraft were destroyed. It is now established that on 13th-14th May two i Me 110’s and six other German aircraft ; were destroyed over Crete by our . fighters. Malta was again raided yesterday and i the previous night. Some slight damage was caused to R.A.F. property and ’ a number of civilian houses were desi troyed. From all these operations under i-e- ---; view two of our aircraft are missing.