PATROL OFFENSIVE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 21, 20 October 1941, Page 7

PATROL OFFENSIVE

Enemy Working Party Engaged At Tobruk BENGHAZI AGAIN RAIDED (British Official Wireless.) (Received October 19, 7.40 p.m.) RUGBY, October 18. While the communique issued in Cairo today by British General Headquarters in the Middle East states that there has been no change in the situation in Libya, news of a successful patrol offensive in the Tobruk area yesterday has reached London. A patrol of two officers and 24 other ranks engaged a large enemy working party at Bir Suesi, south-east of Tobruk, and inflicted about 20 casualties without loss to themselves. Apart from some artillery activity, there was nothing else to report. A communique issued by Royal Air Force Headquarters in the Middle East states that heavy bombers raided the harbour of Benghazi on Wednesday night. Fires broke out on the moles. British aircraft also raided aerodromes at Berka and Martuba. In the Bardia area a force of naval aircraft bombed an enemy dump south of the Bardia-Tobruk road, as well as a wadi near the town.

In the central Mediterranean naval aircraft attacked an enemy merchantman being towed by a tug off the coast of Tripolitania. Owing to bad visibility the result of the attack could not be observed. From these and other operations, all our aircraft returned safely. N. AFRICAN THEATRE Terrific Battle Predicted LONDON, October 17.

The most powerful army that Britain has ever assembled in Africa lies spread over the Western Desert, says the special correspondent of the Associated Press. The correspondent a’dds that he has no special information, but believes it safe to predict that a terrific battle is going to be fought along these North African shores before long.