TOLL TAKEN OF ITALIAN INVADERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 228, 25 September 1940, Page 8

TOLL TAKEN OF ITALIAN INVADERS.

EASY TARGETS.

Mobile British Units

Swoop To Kill

British Official Wireless. (Reed, noon.) RUGBY, Sept. 24. A Cairo communique states: "There is no change in the situation in the Eastern Desert. During Sunday evening, our artillery silenced some enemy batteries. Mersa Matruh was raided four times by the enemy diu , - ing Sunday i.ight, but there were no casualties. On the other fronts there is nothing to report." A Royal Air Force communique issued in Cairo states: "Our bombers on Sunday attacked Italian planes on the Menustor lauding ground. All bombs fell in the target area. '•Wo re-attacked on Monday, causing tlireo explosions and a fire among planes. We twice raided Tobruk harbour (Libya) when bombs fell among buildings and on the jetty and close to moored ships. "The raiders bombed Zula (Eritrea) hitting and setting fire to a building and starting four other big fires in Cintra camp. A successful attack on Maiadaga resulted in direct hits on technical buildings and grounded planes. "The South Africa Air Force raided Sciascia and Manna in Central Abyssinia." ' A Rome communique says: "We bombed Mersa Matruh successfully. The British bombarded Tobruk and Bardia, and slight damage was done. We bombed Port Sudan'aerodrome and also attacked the Aden airport. "The British bombed a number of our aerodromes, including Gura, Diredawa, Adiugri, Sciasa and Manna." It was reported earlier that British 25-pounder guns, machine-guns and bombers continue to take advantage of the excellent targets Which the Italian supply convoys present in Egypt. The Italians, on' the other hand, have no targets in the mobile British units for their retaliatory fire. The Italians are paying a heavy toll for «v«ry yard of their advance and for every gallon of petrol or round of ammunition brought up from the rear. Britain's main desert forces are based at Mersa Matruh, where they await the moment for a major attack. The Senussi desert tribes are also poised, ready to swoop on the Italian rear and flanke and oil bases 'and outposts.

(Reed, noon.)

Methodically Attacked. An Italian column has now repaired the. mine-blasted: roads from the Libyan escarpment. Other units are penetrating westward, along the rough desert *»ipaitenfpt "to* protect ; the main advance and cover the consolidation' of the Italian positions" at Solium and Sidi Barrani. The British hit hard and methodically whenever the enemy exposes himself. The Egyptian authorities have begun rounding up all the Italians in Cairo as a pneaution, and 7000 have already been detained. Similar measures are being taken throughout Egypt, but an earlier eewspaper report- that martial law hmd been, imposed is denied. Am earlier communique issued at Call* stated: "The Italians bombed Alexandria, Sidi Haneish and Mersa Matruh. Negligible damage was caused •nd there were only two casualties." A Royal Air Force communique steteej "A 'raid on Benghazi resulted'in a direct hit on a ehip and a fire in warehouses: alongside the mole. We raided Mcnastir aerodrome and also scored -direct hits on lorries in a motor transport concentration at Sidi Barrani. ; "The, enemy raided Malta, damaging ,10 village; houses, and also twice at- | tacked. Aden without causing damage, . "We attacked the East African aero.dromee. of iMaiadaga and Gura." {