HURRICANE BOMBERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24773, 25 November 1941, Page 8

HURRICANE BOMBERS

VALUE IN DESERT WARFARE GREAT RAPIDITY OF SWEEPS (Rec. 7 p.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 23. "It was recently revealed that Hurricane bombers have been in use in the central Mediterranean and there have been some reports that these aircraft are in action in the Libya battle. They can attack with equal force strongholds of tanks, convoys or troop concentrations, and if the need arises enemy fighters," writes a special correspondent who visited a fighter command station in southern England, whence these Hurricanes are flown. "A Canadian Air Force squadron takes off at every opportunity to attack with bombs and bullets a variety of targets in Ger-man-occupied France." The method of attack adopted by the R.A.F. at home for Hurricanes gives some indication of the surprise value of the assault on the Germans and Italians in Libya. A pilot described how at sea level, sometimes flying'through'waves, they swept on to bomb objectives behind Cherbourg. "They could not see us coming, but no doubt they heard us," he said. Over the desert wastes and the rugged coast of Libya Hurricanes can sweep on to a convoy or a panzer division so rapidly, at almost ground level, that they are gone and their bombs exploded before the enemy has time to take defensive action.