Evening star., 1943-07-03
Assaults Aimed
Al Three Points
Near laramie
II Axis Aircraft Are
Downed and ; Lost
In Triple Attack
By the Associated Press.

CAIRO, July 3.-Nearly 10C
American Liberators smashed at
three airfelds in Southern Italy
yesterday in the biggest often
sive action yet staged by these
four-engined craft from the
Middle East, dropping more than
100000 pounds of bombs on the
italian bases at Lecce, Grottag-
lie and San Pancrazio.
(All three raids apparently
were aimed at reducing the aerial
defenses of the Italian naval base
at Taranto, at the inside OF the
iutting Italian heel" on the Gulf
of Taranto.
(Grottaglie lies 10 miles north
east of Taranto. San Pancrazio %
miles to the east and Lecce 42
miles to the eastD
The lethal loads included high
explosive. augmentation and in
cendiary bombs, a United States
communioue from Middle East
headquarters announced.
Three American planes were lost
In delivering the triple punch, TINS
relatively small figure equallng the
entire American losses for the
month of June in this area.
IL Axis Planes DOwned.
Twelve planes were shot down out
of the large number of Italian ana
German fighters which rose to chal-
lenge the Liberators, the commu-
nique said.
"At Lecce. bursts of smoke COW
cred the field, indicating hits on
dispersed aircraft" the announce
ment said. "Other hits were OBJ
served on hangers and runways,
Fires were left burning behind the
hangers and in the dispersal area.
A very large fuel fire was observed
In the southeast section.
AT Grottaglie, direct hits we're
scored on hangers and bursts we're
seen throughout the target area.
The dispersal area was blanketed
with augmentation bombs. One
enemy aircraft was seen to explode
and at least one other was seen
burning
"At San Pancrazio. the target area
was well covered with bursts
Enemey Tries to Bomb Planes.
Axis fighters trying to protect the
Italian bases sought again to bomb
the American planes from above
MANY German planes joined in the
attack. among them Messerchimltts
Focke-Wulfs, JunkerS and HelnKelS
A British communicate said fVe
Allied planes were lost during opera
tions Yesterday, including the three
Liberators.
(The italian communique broad
cast from Rome and recorded by
the Associated Press, reported at
tacks on various localities of the
Saltenina Peninsula the west
Coast area between Salerno and
Naple-and on towns in Sicily
and Sardinia, and said casualties
and damage we're caused.
(The Italians asserted "a Allied
planes were shot down, ~ OF
which we're four -engined planes
of the Liberia tor type between
Lecce and Grotagglie." The COM
munique listed II persons killed
and 1852 injured in six towns, with
the highest toll 80 dead and SO
injured in Palermo)
Raj Attacks Catania.
The attacks on the Italian air
Aelds followed night raid on
Catania, Sicily. by Raj bombers,
the communique announced.
Hits were scored on the Catania
railway yards. it was reported
Bomb bursts we're seen all over the
sidings and in the industrial area,
Including section where sulphur
eefneries are located. Four small
hres were said to have been started
at this east coast Sicilian city.
British long-range fighters. con-
tinuing their attacks on enemy
shipping in Aegean waters, shot up
4 schooner in Kyllene Harbor off the
vest coast of Greece yesterday, the
bulletin said On the previous day
Allied fighters attacked two dredges
IN the Levkas Channel in the same
area where ship had been sunk,
blocking the channel
At the same time. in sweeps along
canal in that district. the Allied
planes silenced several gun posts
the announcement said
Spitfres sent Junkers Sc crash