DELIVERY TO BE HASTENED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23412, 20 August 1941, Page 7

DELIVERY TO BE HASTENED

U.S. AEROPLANES FOR MIDDLE EAST

ROOSEVELT ANNOUNCES FERRYING PLAN

(8.0. W.) RUGBY. August 18. ' According to press reports from Washington, Mr Roosevelt announced to-day that an agreement had been reached to expedite the delivery of fighting aeroplanes direct to. the British forces in the Middle East.

Under this arrangement Pan American Airways would ferry aircraft to West Africa, and from there to the Middle Eastern war zone.

Mr Roosevelt said that Pan American Airways was establishing immediately *an air transport service from West Africa to the Middle East. Plans were under way for a transport service from the United States to West Africa for the purpose cf connecting with a new air line. The establishment of the service would be one of the first concrete developments in the increase of American aid as a result of the meeting with Mr Churchill. The President said that the ferrying route would be so arranged that the aircraft would net pass through the zone of actual warfare.

RAID BY FLEET AIR ARM

SHIPPING ATTACKED AT SYRACUSE

STEADY PATROL ACTIVITY AT TOBRUK (8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 18. “Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm carried out a successful attack on the harbour of Syracuse, in Sicily, on the night of August 15-16,” states a Royal Air Force communique from the Middle East. “Bombs were dropped from a low altitude on the central mole and railway sidings, starting several fires, which finally became one intense blaze, -with flames rising to 300 feet. A number of violent explosions accompanied the fire, which lit up the whole harbour area. Considerable damage must have been done to shipping. “The same formation dropped a number of incendiary bombs on barracks at Cape Passer, These caused a heavy detonation, which was followed by a fire which was still visible from the aircraft when they were about 70 miles away on the homeward journey. “Hurricane fighters machine-gunned seaplanes in the harbour of Syracuse yesterday, destroying one C.A.N.T. Z506 and severely damaging a number of others.

“In Abyssinia, aircraft of the South African Air Force bombed and ma-chine-gunned Wolchefit and Debarech and obtained hits on forts, buildings, and trenches.

“All our aircraft returned safely from these operations.” A communique from British General Headquarters in Cairo states: “At Tobruk there has been considerable enemy bombing. Ouf patrols continue their activities steadily, inflicting losses upon the enemy. In the frontier area normal patrolling activities continue.”

MR MENZIES TO BROADCAST PARLIAMENT TO MEET TODAY SITUATION IN FAR EAST TO BE CONSIDERED ! "c T2I SYDNEY, August 19. The Australian Prime Minister (Mr R. G. Merizies) ’ will broadcast to the nation to-morrow night, after he has given Parliament a survey of the international position, particularly as it affects the Pacific.

The emergency meeting of Parliament called by the Cabinet to consider the situation in the Far East and the proposal that Mr Menzies should go to London will begin to-morrow. For most of the day Parliament will sit in camera, so that Mr Menzies may give full details of reports received from London, Washington, and Tokyo, and an account of naval, military, and air dispositions in the Far East and the Pacific.