ALLIED AIR OFFENSIVE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 5 July 1943, Page 5

ALLIED AIR OFFENSIVE

AERODROMES CHIEF TARGETS MANY HITS SCORED Rugby, July 3. Most of to-day’s news of our Mediterranean offensive is contained in a Middle East air communique which states: “Heavy bombers of the Ninth United States Army Air Force attacked the aerodrome at Lecce, southern Italy, in daylight yesterday. Hits were seen on hangars and runways and fires were started. Fuel was set alight in the south-eastern section of the aerodrome and other hits scored to the north. Twelve of a force of over 20 enem? fighters, including a ME 109 and a 202 were shot down by bombers. Grottaglie aerodrome was also attacked in daylight yesterday. American heavy bombers scored direct hits on hangars and bursts were seen in the dispersal areas. “R.A.F. long-range fighters attacked a schoner in Kyllene harbour off the coast of Greece and many strikes were seen. The previous day fighters attacked two dredgers in the Levkas channel and saw many machine-gun and cannon-shell hits. Gun posts on a canal bank were silenced. Spitfires yesterday sent a JUB6 crashing into the sea north of Alexandria. On Thursday night R.A.F. heavy bombers attacked Catania railway yards in Sicily. Bomb bursts were seen all over the sidings and in the industrial area, including a sulphur refinery. Four small fires were started. From these and other operations five of our aircraft are missing.” ENEMY FIGHTER SHOT DOWN A North Africa communique states: “On Thursday night bombers of the strategic air force attacked Palermo (Sicily) and Cagliari (Sardinia). Yesterday- Mitchells of the tactical air force attacked Castelvetrano airfield in Sicily. An enemy fighter was shot down by one of the Warhawks escorting the bombers. Not one of our aircraft is missing from these operations.”

Grottaglie, whose aerodrome was attacked the first time yesterday, is roughly 15 miles north-east of Taranto, the heel of Italy. Lecca is also on the heel of Italy, and has been attacked once before by the R.A.F., in March, 1941.”

In an offensive sweep on southeast Sicily yesterday Malta Spitfires jumped on a number of MElo9’s taking off from Biscari aerodrome. One of the enemy was destroyed. Continuing the sweep, fighters shot down a FWI9O, and damaged several ME 109’s. One Spitfire is missing. 200 TONS DROPPED A Cairo message says nearly 100 Liberators took part in a United States raid on' Italian aerodromes and about 200 tons of bombs were dropped. These were high explosive, fragmentary and incendiary. Some of the enemy defenders tried to bomb the Liberators from above. —8.0. W. ROME NOT fOBE OPEN CITY ASSERTION BY ITALIAN NEWSPAPER New York, July 2. Rome won’t be declared' an open city, according to an unsigned editorial in “Popolo d’ltalia” attributed to Mussolini, says the “New York Times” Berne correspondent. The editorial said: “Negotiations toward this end have completely broken down. The would-be negotiators in London are seeking alibis for the forthcoming aerial attack on Rome before it , could be declared an open city. Rome would have to be abandoned by threequarters of the population and fourfifths denuded. Even if this were done, the enemy would still find some pretext for bombing the city. There are some humiliations nobody can accept.”—P.A.