RAIDS IN AFRICA.

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

RAIDS IN AFRICA.

ITALIANS BOMBED. British 'Planes Strike At Enemy. 'DROMES AND DEFENCE POSTS. British Official Wireless. (Received noon.) RUGBY, June 17.

An R.A.F. communique issued at Cairo states: "Most successful raids have been carried out on the Italian naval and air base at Tobruk, in Libya. Displaying great determination our airmen persisted in their raids despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, until extensive damage had been done to an ammunition and patrol dump. There were several explosions, and much black smoke was seen when our aircraft left the target. "In the same area raids wer> carried out at Elade-n and Elgubbi, with some success. All our aircraft returned safely. Further attacks on Diredawa, in Abys-j -in iu, and Macaca, in Eritrea, were made by our bombers. At Diredawa a a rue hangar was set on lire and one .la Han bomber burst into flames, following a direct hit. One enemy fighter, who tried to intercept our aircraft, was hit and is believed to have been shot down. The machine dived with great speed, with smoke belching out. "Attacks carried out by the South African Air Force on Italian East Africa have caused damage to eight enemy aircraft on the ground. Fighters tried to take off, but gave up the attempt owing to lierce machine-gun fire from the raid' ing aircraft. The aircraft and military camp at Mega, in Abyssinia, were raided and several direct hits were registered. Troops in a military camp were bombed and machine-gun posts silenced. All our aircraft are safe. Armoured cars and lorries were destroyed and troops dispersed in the Moyale area, on the border of Abyssinia by Royal Air Force bombers. One machine-gun post was silenced. All our aircraft have returned safelv."