The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-19
BOmberS Run Into SWarms
of German, Italian
Fighters
DOOLITTLE'S AIRMEN
HANG UP NEW RECORE
Railroad Tracks, Ware
houses, Other Build
ing Destroyed
BY REYNOLDS PACKARD
United Press Staff Correspondent

NOhtcu AIcSS oldil correspondent
Allied Headquarters, North
Africa, June 10. - (UP) -
Large forces of bombers.
mightier than those which
blasted Pantelleria into sur
render, loosed torrents of eX-
plosive and fire bombs on
Sicily and Sardinia yester-
day in a sudden intensified
ton of the Allies, pre-inva-
sion offensive in the Mediterranean,
it was revealed today.
A United Press dispatch from an
advance airdrome said formation at
ter formation of heavy, medium and
fighter bomberS swept across the
Mediterranean TO keep the Two
stepping stone islands under a con-
slant rain of bombs.
The raiders ran into sWarms OF
German and Italian fighters and
fierce aerial dogtights ensued, When
the day ended, however, 80 enemy
fighters had been shot down and
only eight Allied planes were lost,
communique reported.
The SO plane bag was a new rec
ord for Maj. Gen. James G.. Doolit-
ties strategic air force. The pre-
vious record was 81 Axis craft shot
down over Pantrelleria in one day.
The Allied planes met heavy OPP
position over Sardinia. One of the
hardest fights was over Aranci
where % enemy aircraft we're de-
stroyed by Mitchell bombcrs and
LightningS.
Their bombing attack resulted in
the demolition of warehouses, jet
ties, railroad tracks and other build
ings.
(The German communique claim
ed that % Allied planes were shot
down yesterday over the Mediter-
ranean. Only one German fighter
was lost, the communique claimed.
The destruction Of a 6000-ton es-
cort ship and the damaging of two
other ships off the Algerian coast in
a night attack Thursday also we're
reported)
(The intensified aerial offensive
followed a warning from Allied
headquarters in North Africa.
broadcast by radio Algiers, that
British and American planes will
bomb italian war industries and
communications with as much
thoroughness and as Systematically
as they hammered harbors and
naval routes during the African
campaign"
almost simultaneously, Italy plac-
ed its southern provinces along a
700-mile stretch of coaStline under
martial law and ordered the eXacu-
alton Of civilians from Naples, Sar-
DINA and SicilyD
GRAF bombers based in Britain
were idle last nightD
At least three ships were sunk
or damaged and docks, railway
yards, airfelds ard other strategic
objectives were blasted in a thun-
derous assault following two days
of routine daylight patrols by the
northwest African air forces.
A strong force Of Flying Fortresses
paced the offensive with a raid on
MeSSlna, ferry line terminus at the
northeastern tip of Sicily. Many
hits were observed on the ferry
terminus, the power station and in
the railway yards
Lockheed Lightning fighter bomb
ers bombed and strafed the Milo
airfield just east Of the west S!cilian
port of Trapani.
Strong formations of Martin Ma
rauders loosed a heavy attack on
docks and shipping at Olbia in Sar-
DINA and set fire to three vessels,
while Mitchell medium bombers
raided docks and railway yards ar
Golfo Aranci also in Sardinia.
Ligtnings escorted bombers on both
raids
Curtiss Warhawks bombed COM
munlcations in southern Sardinia