ITALY’S WAR WEARINESS

Evening Star, Issue 24006, 3 October 1941, Page 6

ITALY’S WAR WEARINESS

NO SURPRISE TO A.I.F. RETURNED MEN HEARTS NEVER IN THE FIGHT (Rec. 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 2. News of the war weariness and unrest in Italy does not surprise men of the A.I.F. who have returned from the Middle 'East and who have had close contact with Italian prisoners of war; Sapper T. N. Lee said the Italian prisoners had shown clearly that a move to end the war for Italy, would be a godsend to the Italians still fighting. Among the prisoners with whom Sapper Lee talked at Tobruk was the former heavy-weight boxing champion Camera, who said he did not want to fight hut was forced into it. "Other returned men agreed that the Italian prisoners made no secret of'the fact that their hearts were never in the fight. Not a few were in Australia before the war, and were eagerly awaiting an opportunity to return.

EFFECTIVE BOMBING

HEAVY RAID ON TRIPOLI (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 2. An it.A.F. Middle East communique states that one of the most _ effective raids yet carried out on Tripoli was made by heavy bombers of the R.A.F. during the night of September 29-30, when concentrations of parked motor transports were first attacked and set on fire. Subsequent bombing so increased the size and intensity of the fires that they could be seen clearly 100 miles away. In addition, direct hits were made on an aerodrome, railway station, buildings, and motor transport garages. Explosions and fires were caused at Gerbin and Comido in Sicily, where aerodromes were bombed and later machine gunned. During the latter operation enemy fighters were engaged, one being destroyed and others damaged. Benghazi was attacked during the same night, and shipping in the harbour was bombed and several hits were registered on a merchant vessel moored alongside the outer mole. During the day, traffic on the coast road from Tripoli to Benghazi was attacked. Troops were machine gunned and one bus full of troops was destroyed by a direct hit. Many bombs wore dropped in a motor transport park near Sirte. From these and other operations, including many reconnaissance flights and fighter patrols, one of our aircraft is missing.

BOMBERS DROP TO FIFTY FEET

WHOLE TARGET AREA ABLAZE (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. noon.) RUGBY, October 2. An Air Ministry bulletin disclosed that some of the attacks during one of the most successful raids earned out against Tripoli, announced in yesterday’s R.A.F. Middle East communique, were made from a height of no more than SOft. The attack was made by heavy bombers, and the fires started in the target area extended over a space of some 600 ft square. One after the other the bombers dropped their loads from a low altitude, adding to the original blaze or starting new fires' that merged until the whole target was ablaze from end to end. During the day low-level attacks were also maefe on a schooner, a wireless station, barracks, and convoy lorries and staif cars.