Evening star., 1943-06-06
American Bombers
Shower Explosives
On Italian Cities
Mediterranean Isles
Blasted in Two-Wuve
Assaults by Daylight
BY the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, June 5.-Amer-
ican ,Liberator bombers of the Mid
die East Air Force dumped nearly
l25 tons of explosives on Grottalgie
Airdrome near Brindisi in South
eastern Italy yesterday and other
Allied air units struck again at the
enemy's Mediterranean island
strongholds and additional points
on the Italian mainland.
The two wave daylight assault on
Grottalgie Airdrome splintered han
gars and administration buildings
with direct hits. One entire section
of the field was said to have been
knocked out as the whole place was
covered with explosions, large fires
and columns of smoke.
A formation Of fighters challenged
the big bombers. which blasted four
of the enemy planes out of the air,
and an American communique said
ell of the American raiders re-
turned safely.
SmOtnered the Area.
Col. Keith K. Compton OF St.
Joseph. Mo-. leader of the attack.
said in Cairo that he rarely had seen
more accurate bombing.
There were scores of fires which
sent great pillars of black smoke
into the sky" he said. I'VE COM
pletely smothered the area with
bursts"
Other returning flyers said
number of enemy planes were de-
stroyed on the ground.
Meanwhile. bombers and fighters
Of 1t, Gen. Carl A. Spaatzs North
west African Air Force pounded
Catanzaro on the southern coast
Of Italy; Pangora, on the instep of
the Italian boot; Syracuse. in Sic
ilv, Milo Airfield in Northwestern
Sicily, Favignana Island, off the
western tip Of Sicily. and the tiny,
oft-battered island Of Pantelleria.
Hit Most Easterly Point.
Raj Wellingtons rained in
cendiary bombs on Catanzaro and
Syracuse Thursday night. In flying
to Pangora. the Allied airmen
struck at the most easterly point
in Italy vet attacked by planes
under Gen. Spaatz's command
Milo Airfeld and Favignana
Island were raided yesterday by
American Lightnings, which set
three of the airfeld's hangers afire
and damaged the runway.
Heavy and medium bombers and
fighter -bombers of both the stra-
tegic and tactical air forces made
the newest attack on Pantelleria,
blasting and strafing military estab-
lishments there.
No enemy fighters appeared to
challenge the attackers and the
Italians anti-aircraft fire was
erratic. 1t faded under the deluge
of bombs.
Resistance Disappearing.
The bomb carrying Lightnings
also encountered no enemy fighters
in the raid on Milo airfield. indicat-
ing further that enemy aerial
resistance is steadily disappearing
Anti-alrcraft fire there also was
light, but there was intense machine
gun fire. in the vicinity of the air.
port.
The operations, in which all types
of aircraft were used, cost the Allies
only two planes.
The enemy struck back with a raid
last night on Algiers by a force
described officially as small. AL
though two of the raiders were shot
down, the attack caused some casual
ties and created some damage.
Reconnaissance photographs of
Leghorn. attacked by nearly 100
four -engined American bombers May
%. showed today that a large oil
refinery there was put out of action.
Storage Tanks Burned.
Seventeen of 10 storage tanks in
one section of the city were burned
out and eight others were destroyed
in another area. Gas holders. service
tanks. packing units and conveyers
were destroyed or severely damaged.
The pictures showed much wreck
age among railway installations and
pipe lines running into the refinery.
A butane plant and lubricating plant
were DAMAGED