Evening star., 1943-06-29
Five Ships Damaged
In Heavy Pounding
Of Itolion Port
BY the Associated press

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, June 29.-One
hundred Flying Fortresses, flying
round-trip more than l 100 miles,
smashed the Northern Italian
port of Leghorn with several
hundred tons of bombs yesterday,
damaging a light cruiser and
four supply ships and creating
havoc in oil tanks, railway yards
and industrial plants.
The four-engined bombers ham
mered at the city for nine con-
centrated minutes, and returned
home without loss, Allied head
quarters announced
They created such ruin that an
official report said, Five hours after
the raid the entire port was still so
heavily covered by smoke that ac-
curate inspection OF the damage was
then impossible"
Later, however" the report
stated, lit was learned that all the
storage tanks and an oil refinery
were ablaze and that an inner in
active light cruiser and four supply
ships in the harbor were damaged
Little opposition was encountered
and all the fortresses returned
safely"
(The Italians admitted "verv
great damage at Leghorn ano
said ITS persons were killed and
800 injuredD
Sandman AirfieIds Riddled.
Meanwhile, American medium
bombers and fighters concentrated
on airflelds in Sarlinia, setting
buildings ablaze and pounding dis
persal areas, and RAF Wellingtons
raided San Giovanni near the toe
of the Italian mainland.
Fighter-bombers flying out of
Malta scored hits on two factories
and railway at Licata, Sicily,
British communique said, and other
planes started fire at Comiso Air
drome.
Photographs of the Leghorn raid
showed ''one hit and two damaging
misses on the cruiser, and picture
interpreters also reported many hits
on the oil tanks" the official report
said. ALSO hit by numerous bombs
were the railroad lines leading to
the marshalling yards and tracks
east of the city, bridge. sheds,
storage depot or two" Hits were
scored near an iron foundry and
torpedo factory.
Nearly 100 Fortresses raided Leg
horn, 160 miles north of Rome. on
May % in their longest combat fight
from North African bases up to
that time.
Ueghorn, which is the home of
the Ansaldo shipyards. was said
by London sources at the time of
the May raid to be possible
base for the shore bound Italian
fieetD
Heavy Opposition.
Medium bombers ranging over
Sardinia encountered heavy enemy
opposition both from the ground
and in the air.
New attacks on Reggie Gala
brla and Messina also were re-
ported by the Italian high COM
mand, which said IA were killed
and 81 injured at Reggie Gala
bria and killed and 4 injured at
Messina.
(Rome asserted that 10 Allied
planes were shot down yesterday,
7 OF them at Leghorn.
German bombers were said to
have attacked Pantelleria hsr-
Dor with good success" but
there was no Allied confirmation
of an attack there.)
Only one enemy fighter was en-
countered by the Flying Fortresses.
and it turned away without coming
In range. The flax was slight to
moderate, but the Italians put up
dense smoke screen over the target.
Axis Fighters Shot Down.
While speedy B-26 Marauders
bombed Decimomannu airfield in
Southern Sardinia their Warhawk
escort shot down 4 out of IS enemy
fighters which attacked aggressively
over the target and then followed
the Allied formations 10 miles out
to sea.
Two Warhawks broke off from the
formation and went in low to strafe
the radio station and locomotive
works at Calasetta Both targets
were left burning.
A heavy cloud of dust obscured
the Sandman airfield of Alghero-
Fertilia after American B-25 Nit
chells bombed barracks, admins
tration buildings, hangers and dis
persal areas. P-38 Lightnings on
scout duty shot down two Macchi
202s from among eight enemy fight
ers which attacked over the field and
attempted to follow the bombers
homeward.
Another formation of Mitchells
raided Olbia -Venafiorita airfield in
Northeast Sardinia, leaving hangers
burning and large fire near a road
intersection and two fires on the
(see MEDITERRANEAN, Pg. A-12J