FLEET AIR ARM

Evening Star, Issue 23817, 22 February 1941, Page 11

FLEET AIR ARM

COUNTERING NAZI DISRUPTIVE EFFORTS LONDON, February 21, While the main fighting in the African area is going on in Italian Somaliland, the ships of the Mediterranean Fleet are playing a silent but important part along the Libyan coast, where the Fleet Air Ann is proving an effective counter to German efforts to disrupt the land traffic of our troops. There is a continual stream of traffic along the coast road, and the Germans are making repeated raids. When a Press enrrespondent visited (Benghazi in a warship the town was having its third raid in 12 hours, and each night the ship remained there a raid took place. There is still some activity in Southern Libya, the centre being the Kufra oasis in the heart of the desert. Free French troops were engaged in a sharp action with the Italian garrison a few days ago. The Italians made a sortie and mechanised units were engaged, hut after three hours the Italians were forced to retire leaving some prisoners and Materials. In Italian Somaliland the troops are carrying out their general’s instructions to “ hit, hit hard, and hit again.” They have gained control of the whole of Jnbaland and beaten off Italian counter-attacks, and the campaign is progressing satisfactorily. In the interior of Abyssinia the patriot army is nearing an important aerodrome south of hake Tsana. Air raids have been carried out on important objectives, and at one aerodrome seven Italian aeroplanes were destroyed on tho ground. BRILLIANT STRATEGY CAPTURE OF MEGA LONDON, February 21. Brilliant strategy was responsible for the capture of Mega, which is G,oooft above sea level at the head of the main Kenya-Addis Aha ha mad, which is capable of carrying motorised units, and leads south-easterly to Alovale and northwards to Addis A halva. Thus another route to Addis Ababa has fallen into British hands..