Evening star., 1943-06-07
Two-Woy Smash
Follows Attacks
On BottIeships
BY the Associated Press.


yesterday smashed rail and ferry
facilities on both sides of Mes
sina Strait at the toe of the
Italian boot, and pounded Pan
telleria again, following up Sat-
urdays smashing attack on three
big battleships of the italian
fleet at La Spezia
At least eight of formation o1
more than 80 fighter planes which
attempted to intercept American
heavy bombers of the Middle Eas
command which raided San Clio
vanni, Reggie Calabria and Messi-
ma, were shot down and others were
damaged, Cairo communique said
IT was officially announced thai
approximately so of our aircraft
took part in the attacks from Mid
die East bases and every one re-
turned safely.
11lbS "ClC SIolCNl oll i ANYWAY Slu
1ngs, oil installations and other ter
minal facilities, the communique de-
clared.
No Allied Planes Lost.
RAF fighters yesterday also shot
down two Cant Z-1007s three-en-
eined heavy bombers, in the Eastern
Mediterranean, it was announced
No Allied planes were lost.
(The Italian communique,
broadcast by the Rome radio and
recorded by the Associated Press,
asserted without Offering any
further detail that an Allied sub
marine was sunk by the Royal
italian Navy in the Mediterran-
can.
(The italians also said their
fighter planes brought down four
four-engined bombers and anti
aircraft guns doWned a fifth in
the Allied raids on Messina, Reg
gio Calabria and other localities
on the MeSSina Strait. They
acknowledged further bombing of
Pantelleria.
In the Pantelleria raids the
Italians asserted seven Allied
planes were brought down by
their fighters and anti-aircraft
guns. They said German fighter
planes brought down two other
bombers south of Sicily ana a
Spitlre near LampeduSa Island.
Three Italian planes were lost, it
was said.
tAnother Rome radio broadcast
said so were killed and seven in
Jured in the vicinity of Reggie
Gala brla)
Allied announcements said l9 AXIS
planes were shot down in all op-
eratlOnS against the loss of one
Allied craft, this one of those at
tacking Pantelleria.
Daylight Plane Attacks.
The aerial softening of Pantel-
leria continued Yesterday after day
light plane attacks Saturday which
in turn, had followed a dawn bonn
bardment by the British Navy-the
fifth time in seven days its guns hao
thundered against enemy batteries
on the volcanic Italian outpost.
The Italian batteries answered
but yesterdays communique said nc
damage was done the Allied fleet.
Along with the concerted air anc
navy surface craft attacks paving
the way for the day when Alliec
ground troops may be ferried across
the 80 miles of the Sicilian strait
came official accounts of submarine
action that battered Axis shipping
in the area.
MonSerrato airdrOme and shipping
In Porto Ponte de Romano in South
ern Sardinia also were hit in Sat-
urdayS aerial action, which was
cllmaxed by the American daylight
bombing of La Spezia. during which
armor- piercing 2.000-pound bombs
were laid among the Italian battle
ships.
The Middle East Air Command
added 20 the wide range of opera
Twins N'til oil dtCdIh tt iudN IlSllt
on Catanla, Eastern Sicily port. and
sank four enemy vessels off Greece
Six Enemy Ships Sunk
British submarines, invading
Italian and island harborS. sank six
enemy ships. severely damaged an
other, and probably torpedoed ar
eighth, and one surfaced submarine
dropped shells on an enemy airfelc
in Northern Corsica. it was an.
nounced in London last night by
the Admiralty.
Listed as destroyed were an anti
submarine naval auxiliary ir
Augusta Harbor, Sicily: two small
supply ships in the strait between
ClrSlca and Sardinia: a tanker neal
Monte Carlo in the Gulf of Genoa
a large supply ship near the Gulf O.
PolicaStro in Southwest italy, ane
a small ship in the same area.
One large supply ship torpedoee
in Catania Bay was seen to be dowr
at the stern, and another large sup
ply ship suffered probable torpedo
hits in the Gulf of Genoa. the Ad
mlfalty SAID.
The raid on the Italian navy il
hiding at La Spezia was 1,400
mile round trip made by the larges
group of Flying Fortresses ever sen
out from Africa. Some previous
raids have been in strength of NOR,
than 100 bombers.
La Spezia is so miles southeast o
Genoa and 40 miles north of Leg
horn uivorno, which was attacked
by American bombers May %. Ii
Spezia was bombed once before. las
April 16, in night attack by RAJ
Britain-based homhers. Genoa alst
has been raided by bombers tina
crossed the Alps after flying from
Britain.
Yesterdays Allied headquarter,
communigue said only that hit
were observed in the dock area
tSee MEDITERRANEAN, AID