RAIDS ON ITALY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 205, 31 August 1943, Page 5

RAIDS ON ITALY

TARANTO BOMBED TWICE WITHIN 24 HOURS Recd. 6 p.m. Rugby, Aug. 29. The southern Italian naval base at Taranto has been attacked twice in the last 24 hours, which has seen continued heavy bombing of Italy during which 29 enemy planes have been shot down. A Middle East air communique states: "Liberators of the Ninth U.S.A.A.F. bombed railway installations at Taranto in daylight yesterday, scoring direct hits on the station and causing explosions. Bursts covered the whole area of the yards. In the outer harbour a direct hit was scored on a large cruiser, and black smoke poured from another vessel after the bombing. One Melo9 was destroyed during combats with a small force of intercepting fighters. "R.A.F. aircraft attacked the marshalling yards at Cotrone on Friday night, starting fires. The chemical works were hit. From these and other operations all our aircraft returned.” The North-west African air forces yesterday carried out heavy attacks on railway communications in Italy, states an air communique from North Africa. Wireless installations in the Ventotene Islands, off the west coast of Italy, and industrial targets in Sardinia. were also attacked, as well as gun positions at San Giovanni. In the course of these operations 28 enemy aircraft were shot down. Eight of our planes are missing. "In combats over Foggia on August 25, 21 enemy aircraft were shot down, in addition tc these already reported, and over Capua on August 26 an additional four enemy planes were shot down.”

To-day’s Italian communique says that the British submarine Saracen, whose loss was announced by the Admiralty yesterday, was sunk on August 14 by an Italian corvette, and that five officers, including the commander, and 41 men were taken prisoner.— 8.0.W.