BOMBING ITALIAN BASES

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1940, Page 7

BOMBING ITALIAN BASES

NAVAL CENTRE RAIDED

LARGE WARSHIP ON FIRE

TWO SUBMARINES HIT

- Northern Italy Attacked

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN". —COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, June 12. Military objectives throughout northern Italy were severely bombed by the Royal Air Force last night. Air-raid warnings were sounded in Rome and continued for 35 minutes. At the beginning, the black-out was only partial, but later it was made complete. ( A very heavy bombardment was carried out at Asmara, m Eritrea, by machines of the Middle East Command of the Royal Air Force. (Recd. June 13, 10.40 a.m.) . CAIRO, June 12. An R A.F. communique states: British planes to-day raided the Italian naval base at Tobruk, also again raided air-bases in Libya and East Africa. Wave after wave swept over the Tobruk Harbour, scoring a direct hit on a large warship, which was burning fiercely as the crew tried to beach the vessel. Two submarines were also hit. There were no British losses.

TURIN AND GENOA.

(Recd. June 13, 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, June 12. It is officially announced that heavy R A F. bombers, operating from Bi itaffi, attacked military objectives at Turin, while others bombed targets at , Genoa. TURIN, June 12. An Allied plane, believed to he British flew over Turin at 1 a.m. dropped several bombs on tbe outskirts. Anti-aircraft guns wei e m ac tion for two hours. No planes we shot down, and no military objective was damaged. No casualties were reported. ATTACKS ON MALTA. little damage done. LONDON, June 12. Only a small amount ol damage ivas done at Malta, as the result° l . teg. It is strongly detended by Blit and regular Maltese troops and also artillery and anti-aircraft guns. ’ Tile Chief Justice of Malta (Sn Arturo Mercieca) has resigned. , Governor (Sir Charles Bonha q l "’P^ t J i L invited him to resign as a result of his pro-Italran leanings. , j ATTACK ON SOMALILAND. ITALIAN FORCE MOVING. LONDON, June 12. it is reported from Djibouti that Italian white troops for a ' been moving from Addis Abt Diredawa, near the border of Somaliland, with strong tank equip “British and French troops, under General Legenalhomme, ™niediately took up pre-arranged P oSltlons ’ morale of the troops is exc ® llent - T s h 0 . frontier bridges between French So maliland and Abyssinia were de St l?aHan civilians in Djibuti are seeking French protection Many Junrlreds o f French women and children Save been evacuated to Madagascar and Indo China.

ABYSSINIAN FORCES. DJIBUTI, June 12. The Italians are reported to have executed Ras Hailu, a sinian Chief who joined the Italians during the Ethiopian War. Fiturari Birru has been appointed chief of the Abyssinian forces. FLAG AGAIN FLOWN. JERUSALEM, June 12. The Abyssinian flag again appeared on buildings where the Emperors most faithful followers aie taking re A Se preacher at the Abyssinian Church triumphantly cried: Our d y has come! The British Lion, will ie instate the Lion of Judah-’ ITALIAN CLAIMS. (Received June 13, 9 a.m.) ROME, June 12. The Italian first war communique issued at midnight on June 10, states: The pre-arranged disposition of oui land, sea and air forces was carried out in perfect, order. At dawn, and at sunset, bombing units of the Italian air force, escorted by fighter formations, violently bombed military establishments at Majta, with evident results. Our planes returned safely to their respective bases. ‘ Meanwhile, other units undertook reconnaissance flights over the territory and ports of North Africa. An attempt by British aircraft to penetrate into Cyrenaica (Northern Libya) was repulsed at the frontier, and two enemy planes were brought down. CROWN PRINCE HOPEFUL.

(Recd'. June 13, 10-25 a.m.) ROME, June 12. The Crown Prince, in his capacity as inspector of the Italian in a message to infantrymen, said. “The solemn hour has struck. March with unshakeable faith, in the heroic vision of past triumphs, towards the new and certain destinies of Imperial Italy. The country again expects the most-dazzling glories from you.” BOMBS ON~GENEVA ■ TWO-KILLED—TWELVE INJURED BERNE, June-12. The Swiss High Command reports that one woman and one soldier were killed, and twelve people taken to hospital, when foreign planes dropped five bombs on Geneva. Bombs were also dropped at other points round Lake Geneva. An inquiry is proceeding to estabf

lish the origin and character of the bombs.

FURTHER VICTIMS.

(Received June 13, 9.55 a.m.) BERNE, June 12.

It is officially stated that four were killed and 19 wounded in raids on Switzerland, whereof two were killed and 18 wounded at Geneva. ON ALPINE FRONTIER. (Received June 13, 8.55 a.m.) LONDON, June 12. The Italians brought up heavy forces on the Alpine frontier, but have not yet attacked. They would meet most-effective resistance from a strong line of fortifications, barring the way to Nice and all the Alpine passes. BRIDGE DESTROYED (Recd. June 13, 9.45 a.m.) PARIS, June 12. The Italians blew up a bridge at Ventimiglia, through which the main railway line linkingg France and Italy passed. ROMOLO INTERCEPTED. SET ON FIRE BY CREW. MELBOURNE, June 12. The Australian Minister for the Navy (Mr Cameron) announced that the Italian cargo and passenger liner Romolo (9780 tons), which left Brisbane on June 5, was intercepted in. the Pacific by an armed merchant cruiser of the Australian Navy. She was set on fire by her crew, who took to the boats. . x , . The Romolo, which is a sister ship of the Remo, which was captured at Fremantle, was carrying passengers and a large cargo, including wool. She cleared Brisbane for Thursday Island, but as war with Italy was imminent, she was shadowed by aeroplanes and naval ships. It was soon apparent that she had no intention of proceeding to Thursday Island, as she passed through a passage of the Barrier Reef into the Pacific, where she was’ intercepted at noon to-day. Mr Cameron said there was no information available as to the condition of the ship and her passengers and crew. . ’ , „ The intercepting ship rescued all the passengers and crew of the Romolo, which sank.

TWO MORE LOSSES.

LONDON, June 12.

One 6000-ton ship, according to a message from Madrid, was sunk by bombs which the crew had placed in the hold. Petrol was strewn everywhere, and the ship set alight. An Italian ship, carying 5000 tons of bombs and a considerable quantity of cement, was captured by the British Navy in the Red Sea. ANOTHER SHIP SEIZED. (Recd. June 13, 10.25 a.m.) GIBRALTAR, June 12. The Cellina is still afloat at .Algeciras. She has been seized by the British. ONE MINED. (Recd. June 13, 9.55 a.m.) ATHENS, June 12. The Zinovia. was mined, and sank near Pantellaria. FRENCH TRANSPORT. (Received June 13, 11 a.m.) LONDON, May 12. The French transport, Gouverneur General Lepine, carrying 700 . Senegalese soldiers and civilians, is reported to have taken refuge at Alicante (Spain) all day, to escape a submarine. The vessel later left to avoid internment. GARIBALDI’S CURSE. RECALLED BY MINISTER. RUGBY, June 12. Mr Duff Cooper, broadcasting on Italy’s declaration said that Garibaldi, the heroic Italian, registered the debt his country owed, to Britain, when he called down a curse upon any Italian Government who in future should fight against the country that saved her. This curse, contained in a letter dated April 4,* 1854, is cited in Garibaldi’s- autobiography: “England is a great and powerful nation, independent of auxiliary aid, foremost’ in human progress, an enemy to despotism, the only safe refuge for an -exile from Europe, and a friend of the oppressed, but if ever England should be so circumstanced as to require the help of an ally, cursed be that Italian who would not step forward with me in her defence.”