UNCEASING RAIDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24136, 1 December 1941, Page 8

UNCEASING RAIDS

ENEMY BASES BOMBED DAMAGE AT NAPLES BRITISH ATR ACTIVITY (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 30 Widespread offensive operations, including a heavy raid on Naples, are recorded in the Royal Air Force Middle East communique, which states: "Continuous attacks on enemy motorised forces, encampments, stores and land communications were maintained by our fighter and bomber aircraft in Libya on Friday. Motor transport at Martuba and on the Trigh-Capuzzo, Bardia-Tobrnk and 151 GubbUFaidn roads, as well as in the Ijarco and Gazala areas, was successfully attacked. On Thursday night raids were carried out on the landingground at Derna and on enemy transport near Sidi Omar. Lighter aircraft made a Series of successful attacks over the battle area. Direct Hits in Naples "An effective raid on military objectives at Naples was made on Thursday night, wlion direct hits were scored on the Royal arsenal, the torpedo factory, industrial installations, oil storage tanks and the railway station, engine sheds and marshalling yards. Many fires broke out. An aerodrome in Sicily was also attacked. "In the Central Mediterranean on Friday four bombers attacked a large merchant vessel from a low level and obtained at least five direct hits. Fires broke out on the ship and clouds of smoke wore visible for 50 miles. "From these and other operations seven of our aircraft are missing." Germans Losing Heavily "The German Air Force is getting a hell of a time and is losing heavily," said the Cairo spokesman. The Times' aeronautical correspondent says the Germans are making desperate efforts to reinforce their air force in Libya and have succeeded in transferring some aeroplanes at night. The Germans are receiving valuable help from Junkers 52 transport aeroplanes, of which Germany is reported to have 1000. They are ferrying supplies and probably troops and possibly light tanks at night. The Royal Air Force is also using air transports. If the Royal Air Force continues to take toll of Axis aeroplanes at the same rate as now it will almost certainly force the Germans to withdraw fighters from the Russian front in the near future if they have not done so already. An Ankara report states that the Germans are embarking troops, mostly Austrians, at Salonika, Brindisi and Naples as reinforcements for Libya. HEROIC ATTACK n MEN CAPTURE FORT 600 GERMANS SURRENDER LONDON. Nov. 29 Fourteen men—the only survivors of one company of a British county regiment —with" one tank and one 3in. mortar, captured (300 Germans. Their feat was one of many heroic incidents in the capture of Sidi Omar Nuovo. During the attack a battalion of Bren gunners left their carriers 400 yards from the defences and advanced on foot over a deep minefield. Several tanks were blown up and two company commanders wore killed and a third injured, but the men pressed on unhesitatingly, sometimes ahead of the tanks. A corporal, though wounded several times, continued to lead his section until too weak through loss of blood to stand. He then gave_ covering machine-gun fire while his section silenced an enemy machine-gun post. A platoon commander, wounded in both knees, staggered to his feet and went on until shot in the head within 15 yards of the enemy. The remainder of the men captured the trenches which were the platoon's objective. Strongpost after strong-post fell to other units, including the heroic 14, and by dusk the fortress was captured. HURRICANES INTRUDE ITALIAN STAFF CONFERENCE BOMBS DROPPED ON TABLES (Reed. 8.10 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30 The Italians at Solium must now be short of leaders as the result of the visit of Hurricane bombers to a staff conference there. The Hurricanes sighted 20 or 30 staff cars drawn up in a large circle, in which were two trestle tables surrounded bv staff officers. The leading Hurricane bomber picked the tables as his objective, and flew in so low that he could see the maps on the tables. His bombs landed in the middle of them. Other pilots blew up the staff cars, and little remained undestroyed. Correspondents at advanced bases say the Royal Air Force is making 200 sorties a day. ITALIAN LOSSES DIVISION WIPED OUT (Eecd. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 30 Virtually the whole Italian Bologna division was wiped out in the fighting around Tobruk, where the junction of the main forces of New Zealanders and the Tobruk garrison was completed, said a military spokesman at Cairo. Jt is now known that 700 Italians were captured at Gialo, west of Jarabub. where our casualties were 20. The Indians are continuing to mop-up in the frontier area.