- 2 - (III) AIR OPERATIONS 9th. Coastal aircraft bombed and probably sunk a 6-7,000 ton merchant vessel off NORWAY and attacked a convoy off the Dutch coast obtaining 3 hits on a 7,000 ton ship which was still burning 6 hours later. Another ship of 3-4,000 tons was also hit. Our fighters attacked an Alcohol Distillery in Northern France and consider they destroyed it. Off DURHAM a JU 88 was shot down by fighters. LIBYA. 7th/8th. Hurricanes damaged 6 aircraft on JEDABYA aerodrome and a number vehicles on the EL AGHEILA road. 8th. Squadrons of light bombers successfully attacked transport near ACROMA and EL ADEM, stores dumps at BARDIA and DERNA landing ground where 8 aircraft, including 5 JU 52's were destroyed. Blenheim fighter damaged M.T. North East of MARAWA. 12 enemy fighters attacked 3 of our landing grounds near MADDALENA, causing a few casualties. (IV) ENEMY ACTIVITY UNITED STATES . 8th. PHILIPPINES. There was further Japanese air activity over Southern and Central LUOON, WAKE ISLAND was bombed. 9th. HAWAII. No renewal of Japanese attacks. Some U.S. bombers which arrived from CALIFORNIA made an unsuccessful search for the attacking Japanese aircraft carrier. GUAM. An air attack on AGAMA caused heavy casualties. A large ship, possibly a transport, and two destroyers were sighted off the Island at 6.00 p.m. A Japanese aircraft carrier is believed to be operating 750 miles North East of PEARL HARBOUR. Reports of attack on NAURU, also of the bombing of TOKYO, KOBE and FORMOSA are all unconfirmed. (V) AIRCRAFT CASUALTIES in Operations over and from the British Isles. German 1 destroyed. (VI) During the past week the Russian Air Force has been very active on all sectors of the Front. They have carried out both bombing and machine gun attacks on German ground troops with good results. They are reported to be maintaining continuous pressure on the enemy and to be affording remarkably good suppo %rt to their own troops, The success of these operations is of particular importance at a time when the Germans are attempting to stabilise the Front. It is believed that during the past few weeks the Russians have had numerical and operational air superiority on the whole sector of the front South of KURSK and have maintained at the same time local air superiority at a number of points between TULA and ALININ. |