NAZI ATTACK AT SOLLUM

Southland Times, Issue 24440, 21 May 1941, Page 5

NAZI ATTACK AT SOLLUM

ATTEMPT FAILS TROOPS DIVE-BOMBED BY R.A.F. (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 20. The Germans failed again to recover their lost, ground in the muchtrampled Solium area when two columns sallied out from Fort Capuzzo in an attempt to force Hellfire Pass. The Royal Air Force gave the Germans a taste of their own medicine by dive-bombing them. Describing the widespread and successful operations a communique issued in Cairo says: “There is no change in the situation at Tobruk. In the area south of Solium two enemy columns supported by numerous tanks crossed the frontier, but withdrew after being engaged by forward elements of our mechanized forces.” ROYAL AIR FORCE ACTIVE

A Royal Ah Force Middle East communique states:— . r , “A large formation of aircraft of the Royal Air Force and the South African Ah Force carried out attacks on enemy tanks between Fort Capuzzo. and Halfaya yesterday. A number of tanks was put out of action and serious damage was inflicted among many motor transport vehicles. Our fighters carried out extensive patrols, but no decisive engagements resulted. During Friday night the aerodromes at Monastir and Birchleta were raided. Benghazi and Derna were also attacked the following night by our bombers. Full details of these operations are not yet available, but it is known that considerable damage was caused. During the operations over Tobruk yesterday three Junkers 87’s were shot down by antiaircraft fire. . .. j “In Abyssinia our aircraft continued to assist our troops in mopping-up operations. The attacks were made mainly on enemy motor transports retreating along the roads. In Syria bombing attacks were made on the Palmyra aerodrome, where there were large German transport aircraft, and on the Damascus aerodrome. Rayah was also bombed and machine-gunned. Raids were also made on the Raschid aerodrome in Iraq. A number of fires was started at the Calato aerodrome in Rhodes as the result of a raid carried out on Saturday night. During enemy attacks on our aerodromes in Crete a Dornier and another unidentified aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire. From all these, operations one of our aircraft is missing. Splendid pluck and endurance .were shown by a pilot officer engaged in an attack on the aerodrome at Gazala in Libya. Diving very low with a total disregard of heavy ground fire he sprayed two large enemy aircraft on the ground until they were destroyed. Then he swooped on a concentration of mechanized transport. Braving a hail of machine-gun bullets, he received wounds in the head and shoulders and

was losing blood rapidly when he turned his aircraft towards the Egyptian frontier, 250 miles away. Lacking sufficient strength to reach his squadron’s base, he made a successful landing within the British lines, where he fainted as he was helped from the cockpit.