ITALIANS SURPRISED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 65, 18 March 1942, Page 5

ITALIANS SURPRISED

AIR AND NAVAL OPERATIONS AGAINST RHODES DEVASTATING ATTACK (Recd. 12.12 a.mJ Cairo, Marell 17. A combined sea and air operation against Rhodes on Sunday proved devastating. The attack started before dawn, when Wellington bombers concentrated on the island aerodromes of Calato and Laritza, bombing and machine-gunning them from u low level. Many fires were left burning. Reuter’s correspondent aboard a British warship uhieh participated in the combined operation reports that the attack was swilt and sudden, completely surprising the Axis, important objectives on the island were severely pounded. It was ten minutes before tile defenders fully realised what was Happening. A feature of the operation was tin- perfvcl coordination between the Navy and the' R.A.F. Every phase wen’ a< ioi ding to plan. Even alter the ships began | pouring in shells the detenu ■: s con-1 tinned tiring at I he ; lanes, j, pai . ally mistaking the naval bombardment ! for a bombing raid. The action lasted twenty minuses, during which ouc slaps lired several hundred shells, hitting important establishments in the town of Rhodes and also the E-boat base and harbour installations. Rhodes is one of the islands in the Aegean Sea occupied by the Italians in 1912 during the war with Turkey.