MILITARY TARGETS GREATLY DAMAGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 143, 18 June 1940, Page 6

MILITARY TARGETS GREATLY DAMAGED.

ITALIANS ATTACKED. Activity Of Air Forces In East Africa. BRITISH TROOPS TAKE A POST. United Press Association.—.Copyright.' (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, June 17. An East African Air Force headquarters communique from Nairobi says the South African Air Force on Friday greatly damaged militai-y targets on the aerodrome at Bardera, a village in Italian Somaliiand, obtaining direct hits. Reconnaissance 'planes in South Somaliland reported no enemy movements. The enemy twice bombed Wajir, in North Kenya, and British Moyale, but there were no casualties and no damage was done. Italian bombers on Thursday destroyed 1500 galloife of petrol at the Wajir aerodrome. British troops between Friday and Saturday raided Italian Moyale and entered six abandoned posts. Three native soldiers were found dead, and the Italian neglect to bury them has aroused the resentment and horror of Mohammedans. The "Daily Telegraph" correspondent with the British forces in the western desert, says: "Our armoured units routed the Italians who were observed on the night of Sunday, bringing up armoured reinforcements to the frontier

southward of Solium, on the Mediterranean coast. We captured 11 tanks, three guns and two senior officers." At Mersamatruh, Ejrypt, five Egyptian soldiers were killed and nine wounded during four Italian raids there to-day. Italian 'planes bombed Solium. Sidi Barrari and Mersamatruh. Four Egyptian soldiers were killed and six wounded. Eight civilians were killed and eight Hoval Engineers wounded. Mersamatruh was again bombed in the afternoon. R A.F. 'planes bombed Italian mechanised units on the Kenya border, says a Cairo message, destroying armoured cars and lorries and dispersing troops. "Our fighters near Malta engaged five Heinkels, which released bombs and made off. No damage was done. "The R.A.F. extensively damaged 'an ammunition and petrol dump at Tobruk, in Libya, and a large hangar was set on fire at Diredawa. One Italian bomber burst into flames, and an enemy fighter was shot down.

"The South African Air Force in Italian East Africa damaged eight enemy 'planes on the ground, and direct hits were secured. Mega, where there were encamped troops, was bombed and a machine-gun post silenced.