FIRST AIR RAID

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1940, Page 11

FIRST AIR RAID

BOMBS ON GIBRALTAR

NO DAMAGE DONE

MACHINE-GUNS USED ON MALTA

(U.P.A. and Official Wireless.) (Received July 6, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, July 5. Gibraltar has had its first air attack. Enemy planes attacked three times and several bombs were dropped. No damage was done and there were no casualties. The three waves of bombers dropped several bombs, but all fell into the harbour. Searchlights and batteries went into action from the Rock and people went calmly to their shelters. Low-flying Italian planes used machine-guns when they raided Malta this morning. There were no casualties and no damage. A number of bombs fell near King Farouk's yacht, anchored in the western harbour at Alexandria, during yesterday's raid. The vessel had three large green crescent-marked Egyptian flags painted on the sides. Details of the raid on Alexandria, in which Mr. Churchill said that French ships joined the British in repelling the raiders, show that 40 bombs were dropped, mostly in an attempt to hit warships in the harbour. Terrific anti-aircraft fire forced the raiders to turn back. Most of the bombs fell into the sea, several struck • a Customs building, v/ounding several natives, and another dropped ten miles west of Alexandria killed two natives. Bombs on King Farouk's estate at Montaza killed twelve natives. FIGHTER PLANES BUSY. An R.A.F. communique issued in Cairo states: "Yesterday morning a flight of our fighters attacked enemy planes, resulting in one enemy machine crashing in flames and another making a forced landing. Six of our fighters encountered nine enemy fighters in the afternoon and shot down seven of them. One of our fighters is missing but is believed to have made a forced landing on our side of the frontier. Blenheim bombers attacked a large military camp at Bir el-Gobbi, causing much damage." A Nairobi communique states that South African bombers destroyed a petrol dump and made a direct hit on barracks and an aerodrome at Lugh Ferrandi, in Italian Somaliland. ACTIVITIES ON LAND. A communique issued in Cairo states: "On the western desert patrol action around Capuzzo and west of Sollimcis continues. "On the Abyssinian front early yesterday an enemy force consisting of light tanks, armoured cars, and motorised infantry supported by heavy bombing from aircraft attacked our outpost at Kassala, which was occupied after the withdrawal of our small garrison. "About the same time a second outpost, at Gallabat, was also strongly attacked with support from the air. Our troops withdrew to prepared positions after inflicting heavy losses, which included two aircraft. Our force heavily bombed Metemma, gaining direct hits on barracks and landing grounds. It is stated officially in Rome that Italian forces occupied Kassala, in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Kassala is described as an important railway junction. , It is said that Italian planes, despite adverse weather and anti-aircraft fire, machine-gunned airfields at Malta and destroyed eight enemy planes. Italian planes effectively bombed British ships at Alexandria and hit several of them.