LUFTWAFFE HIT HARD

Southland Times, Issue 25023, 8 April 1943, Page 5

LUFTWAFFE HIT HARD

PLANES STRAFED ON AERODROMES

LONDON, April 6. The British and Americans are not only attacking the Italian ports and vital sea communication lines, essential for supplying Tunisia, but are also striking heavily against the Luftwaffe, which dispatches from Allied Headquarters in North Africa emphasize had yesterday its worst day since the Battle of Britain. Luftwaffe planes on the ground were blasted when nearly 300 were caught on aerodromes in Tunisia and Sicily and scores were left smoking and shattered after incessant allday attacks. Luftwaffe transport planes—sitting birds for modern fighters—were shot down, leaving a trail of blazing pools. Luftwaffe machines were also blasted over Tunisia. In all, it is conservatively estimated that the Axis lost at least 100 planes—possibly many more—in the last 24 hours, compared with 186 lost on the famous Sunday over Britain in September 1940. During the Allied operations amazing numbers of Axis planes were discovered parked on three Sicilian aerodromes—loo at Bocadodifalco, 80 large planes at Mino and 100 fighters, transports and bombers at Borizzo—suggesting that Air-Marshal Kesselring, the Axis Air Chief in the Mediterranean, had carried out a major concentration designed to offset Allied air superiority in the coming battle for Tunisia. The concentration of 100 aircraft on any one airfield within Allied bomber range is very contrary to German custom. These, however, were made at aerodromes which are not usually used as large bases and Air-Marshal Kesselring probably banked on their escaping Allied reconnaissance.

LUFTWAFFE EXTENDED The British United Press correspondent at Allied Headquarters states that the Luftwaffe is already extended in the Mediterranean and cannot stand such losses. The Germans are trying to lie low and build up their strength, but henceforth they must come up and fight. If they stay on the gorund they will be smashed. It is remarkable that so few fighters are apparently available for vital points. , Flying. Fortresses dropped stick after stick of bombs, straddling between 50 and 70 aircraft at Bocadodifalco and the pilots are confident that they put out of action a large number of planes. Buildings were also hit and the fires were seen burning when the Flying Fortresses were 60 miles away returning to their base. Enemy fighters without avail tried to intercept the Flying Fortresses and two German fighters and one Italian fighter was shot down. Mitchells escorted by Lightnings reenacted the sceen at Borizzo. Their bombs fell among rows of grounded aircraft and aerodrome buildings and six Germany and two Italian fighters were shot down when they came up. More Flying Fortresses attacked Mino, where the pilots report that at least 30 Axis planes were destroyed. Commenting on the possibility of greater damage the British United Press correspondent says that nothing is harder to estimate than the damage done to aircraft on the ground as a shell fragment tearing a vital spot might be as effective as another hit which set a plane ablaze or blew off a wing. Scores of Axis aircraft were found thus put out of action in Libya during the Bth Army’s advance. TRANSPORTS DESTROYED The shooting down of 18 Junkers transports provided the most spectacular combat of the Tunisian air war. Lightnings were patrolling when they spotted a strongly escorted formation 45 miles from the coast. Twenty-five minutes later there were 18 flaming patches on the water. Explosions suggested that the transports were, flying petrol tankers taking fuel to Tunisia for the Luftwaffe. The Lightnings, which shot down six Stukas and seven fighters of the transports’ escort, had a full day. They escorted Mitchells which caught an Axis sea convoy in the Sicilian straits. The bombers diving through intense anti-aircraft fire, sank a destroyer and set fire to three supply ships and two barges. The Allied air forces also set a flying record with 1000 sorties in daylight. These included intensive attacks on the Tunisian airfields at La Sacauconniere, El Djem, Sidi Ahmed and El Ouina during which they shot down 18 fighters. Allied losses were only twelve planes in all these activities. Encouraging results were achieved in raids on Sfax and Palermo in which much damage was done, . Commenting on General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s communique, which for the first time mentions strategic and

tactical air forces, The Daily Express military writer says that long term strategy is the softening up process preparatory to the Allied attack against the mainland. That is why the Sicilian aii-fields receive deadly attention. For the invasion of southern Europe air superiority will be insufficient. It is essential to secure air mastery, which is why the Allies are trying to break up the Italian airfields deep in the rear in Tunisia. BIG FLEET LEAVES GIBRALTAR Battleships And Carriers LONDON, April 6. The Tangier correspondent of The Daily Express reports that a great British battle fleet has left Gibraltar for an unknown destination in the Mediterranean. The fleet included three battleships, the Nelson, the Rodney and the Malaya, three aircraft-carriers, 35 destroyers and corvettes, 26 motor torpedo boats and several submarines. The correspondent adds that convoys are entering and leaving Gibraltar almost daily and that concentrations of more than 100 merchantmen and warships are now frequent. Paris radio reports that many aircraft arrived at Gibraltar yesterday. NEW ZEALAND PILOT Messerschmitt Shot Down (Official War Correspondent.) , LONDON, April 6. . Squadron Leader G. R.- Gray, D.F.C. and.bar, of Gisborne—one of the many New Zealanders flying Spitfires over Tunisia—shot down a Messerschmitt 109 on Saturday, his third victory in the last 10 days. Squadron Leader Gray’s score now totals twenty and a-half. “I saw two Messerschmitts above me,” he said. “I thought I had no chance to get at them, but one of them went into a turn and I had him. ,1 let him have my cannons and machineguns and he went down in flames.” One of Squadron Leader Gray’s flight commanders, a flight-lieutenant from Golders Green, London, also shot down one Messerschmitt.