Evening star., 1943-04-20
Il More Axis Aerial TRANSPORTS
Destroyed by Allies Off unisio,
Raising 2-Doy Plane Toll to liz
AirfieIds Are Blasted;
Report of Sea Clash
Is Not Confirmed
By the Associated Press.

~ tAAS <acoOSiotSo fASoSs
The Allied aerial offensive,
continuing to deal heavy blows
against the Axis air ferry route
and warplane nests, cut down "a
more enemy planes yesterday,
bringing the 48-hour total to 1T,
of which 70 were Junkers trans
ports, communique from Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower's North
African headquarters announced
today. Of the "a additional
planes shot down IL we're trans
ports.
Taking cognizance of announce
ments of what was called alleged
important success scored by British
and American air forces against
German air transport fleets" Ber-
lin broadcast said authoritative
German quarters termed these re-
ports "at least exaggerated if not
completely incorrect"
Attack Acknowledged.
The broadcast acknowledged large
scale attacks, however, on trans
ports of German and Italian REIN
forcements to Tunisia.' Allied dis
patches, on the other hand, have
said the transports were on their
way from Tunisia.
Raising it's total on the Sunday
battle over the Sicilian Straits, when
troop-loaded German transports
tumbled out of the sky like leaves in
forest fire, Allied headquarters said
three more enemy fighting planes
had been accounted for by American
pilots and their Raj and South
African Allies from the Desert Air
Force. This put the total of enemy
losses in that single battle at So
transports and 10 fighters.
From Axis sources, by way of
Stockholm, reports reached London
that British destroyers had en-
gagged Axis warships herding con-
voy toward Tunisia across in the
Sicilian Straits. The Axis reports
said violent fighting" was continu-
ing early today.
Contact With Escorts.
The battle broke out when the
British ships pounced on the convoy,
and then made contact with the
escorts, said a report from the
Berlin correspondent of the Nazi-
controlled Scandinavian Telegram
Bureau. The Berlin correspondent
attributed his information to Rome.
A London naval source said he
could not confirm that report or
others, published in London news
paper, that the Italian fleet had put
to sea and that three battleships
and other Italian warships had fled
from Spezia, the naval base which
Britain-based bombers struck again
Sunday night.
The fierce, but somewhat slack
ened. offensive was continued yes
terday against Marshal Erwin Rom
mel's aerial ferry route and resulted
in the destruction of the II more
Junkers and eight fighters, the COM
munique said.
Four more Axis planes destroyed
In other fighting yesterday and II
in assorted actions Sunday brought
the two-day toll to liz.
IL More Planes Missing.
Against these losses, the COM
munique said the Allies had II
planes missing yesterday Eleven
were announced missing the day be-
fore, two-day total OF %.
A Malta communique said two
Junkers transports and two Junkers
bombers were shot down by Malta
Spitflres yesterday and Valletta dis
patches said third Junkers trans
port was accounted for by Mosquito
bombers from Malta.
In London it was assumed these
three were in addition to the figures
of the Allied headquarters COM
munique, bringing the two-day
total to 73 Axis transports or lit
planes.
This assumption apparently was
borne out by the Cairo dispatches,
which said the II Junkers transports
mentioned in the communicate were
shot down by Allied airmen from
the western desert air forces who
attacked a formation of 20 of the
big planes. Two Italian Savola-
Marchetti Hawks, an Italian Reg
giane fighter and a number of other
planes were shot down and damaged,
the dispatch said 1t added that one
Allied plane was lost in the engage
ment.
In several other encounters the
desert airmen accounted for Ger
man dive bomber towing a glider, a
(See AFRICA, Page A-4)