ITALIAN LOSSES IN AFRICA

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23086, 31 July 1940, Page 9

ITALIAN LOSSES IN AFRICA

Royal Air Force Successes FRENCH AIRMEN TAKE PART (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) (Received July 30, 8.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 29. French airmen have given valuable assistance to the Royal Air Force in recent operations in North Africa, where eight Italian aeroplanes are believed to have been destroyed. A Royal Air Force communique issued in Cairo stales: "Several reconnaissance flights were carried out .over Eastern Libya by bombing aircraft escorted by fighters. During one of these, a large formation of enemy fighters was met, and in the subsequent action one enemy aeroplane was shot dpwn. One o£ our aircraft is missing. “During another reconnaissance two Italian fighters, seen on the ground, were attacked, and both were destroyed by fire. In Italian East Africa a bombing and machine-gunning attack was made on the aerodrome at Mille: One Italian bomber was destroyed and two others were damaged. “French pilots and crews operated with the Royal Air Force and carried out valuable reconnaissance work in the Diredawa area. “A Sunderland flying-boat patrolling the Mediterranean attacked three ships. The result of the bombing is not yet known. The Sunderland was attacked by three formations of enemy monoplane fighters, but maintained a running action throughout its return flight. One Italian fighter was shot down In flames, and another was driven down out of control. The Sunderland returned safely. “Another Sunderland on patrol was also attacked by enemy fighters, one of which broke up in the air. Another gave up the combat in a badly damaged condition. The Sunderland returned safely to its base. "Enemy bombers, escorted by a dozen fighters, raided Malta yesterday, but only slight damage* was done. One of the enemy fighters was brought down by anti-aircraft fire, and crashed into the sea/’ The hundredth air raid alarm was sounded when enemy aeroplanes approached Malta to-day. Anti-aircraft defences forced the aeroplanes to turn back. A communique Issued in Cairo states: “In Egypt, in tjie Western Desert, an observation patrol of light armoured fighting vehicles which had penetrated far behind the enemy’s lines, was spotted, and subjected to a continuous low flying attack by Italian bombers and fighters. There were some casualties to both men and vehicles. On the other fronts there is nothing of importance.” A communique issued at Nairobi states: “Our Air Force successfully bombed concentrations of enemy troops and camel trains at a post in the neighbourhood of Moyale. Only light anti-aircraft opposition was encountered.” Troops from South Africa have now arrived in Kenya. A message from the King was read to the men by the Governor. Once again forces from the Union of South Africa had arrived in East Africa to aid troops from other parts of the Empire in the fight for the safely of peace-loving people, staled His Majesty. He was confident that with the help of the South Africans the Empire would conquer. An Italian communique states; Beyond the frontier of Cyrenaica, Italian aviation pursued bombing and machine gunning actions against enemy formations of armoured cars, making effective hits. In an aerial battle two enemy aeroplanes were shot down. Two of our aeroplanes failed to return.” HUNGER THREAT IN EUROPE STATE OF OCCUPIED COUNTRIES (BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.) RUGBY; July 29. In recent weeks the'newspapers have printed occasional dispatches on conditions in the countries under German occupation, but, as “The Times” states, “news comes in slowly and sparingly from the prison house where the peoples enslaved by Nazi occupation are held under a regime of privation, hard labour, and silence. "Every one of these countries is now faced with the gaunt spectre of hunger. Food and stock have been requisitioned in bulk or purchased for worthless currency by the invading troops. In most of these unhappy lands the harvests have been seriously damaged and transport disorganised for some time to come by military operations. Everywhere a strict rationing system has been imposed. Everywhere the exploitation of men and resources is in full swing.” In connexion with these observations of "Tile Times,” it is - relevant to note that the serious food situation which threatens particularly Belgium and northern France, will be attributed by Nazi propaganda to the British Contraband Control. The speciousness of that claim, so far as the countries seized and ravaged by the Genruin armies is concerned, is well known, and its inversions of the truth in particular in the cases of Denmark and Norway, are again exposed to-day in a letter which Professor Koht, the former Norwegian Foreign Minister, has addressed to “The Times.” Professor Koht points out that “the initiative to complete the stopping of overseas commerce to the northern countries was with Germany, not with Britain. The Nazis in their very first ultimatum to Denmark and Norway demanded that they should cut off all kinds of commerce and communication with all countries west of the North Sea.” “The Times” adds; “It is not only with the physical resources of the occupied territories that the Germans are tampering, but also with their moral and spiritual ties. The occupied countries were deluged with a stream of propaganda from the local press and radio stations which were compelled to follow behests and model themselves on the methods of Dr. Goebbels and the ban is not yet as strictly enforced us the occupying authorities would like. “Listening to foreign broadcasts completes the picture of physical hardship and demoralisation, but there is very little evidence to suggest that efforts to undermine or break the spirit of independence In the conquered countries is succeeding.”