WAR IN AFRICA

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 December 1940, Page 8

WAR IN AFRICA

OPERATIONS RESTRICTED. ['BY CABLE.-—PRESS ASSN.—-COPYRIGHT.] ! : -' CAIRO, -December 7. , A Royal Air Force communique states:Very' bad weather restricted operations in the western, desert. We again’raided' Assab and bombed . a large motor transport concentration nearby.'Photographs revealed considerable damage’ at Assab from the raids of November 24 and 25. Two dumps have been destroyed. _ “South African aeroplanes on December 5 directly hit targets at Neghelli, Moyale and Meca.” Another Cairo’ commu-’-ue states: “There is no change in the situation in the Western Desert. In the Gallabat area in the Sudan our fighting patrols attacked and drove off. an enemy- machine-gun unit in a position east of Gallabat. The enemy sustained casualties, leaving one dead and a quantity of arms and equipment in our hands. Our patrols were also active in the Kassala sector, while there has also been considerable patrol activity on the Kenya front.” „ Mi' J. L. Garvin, in the “Observer, commenting on recent British successes in the Sudan and on the Kenya border, says that the whole of the Italian forces in East Africa could be crushed with the aid of an Abyssinian revolt. This would be more than a local success, and would help materially to end the war. Such black news would convince the Italian people that the game was up.

SUDAN OPERATIONS. RUGBY, December 8. A Cairo communique states: Our artillery again carried out a successful shoot against enemy positions east of Metemma, in. the Sudan, on Saturday. Loud explosions were heard following the bombardment. Our artillery was also active in the area north of Kassala. There is no change on the other fronts. ITALIAN VERSION. LONDON, December 8. An Italian communique states: “Enemy aeroplanes raided several places in East Africa. There were raids on Metemma and also on a road in the Sabderat district. The raids caused neither casualties nor damage.” ITALIAN PLANE LOSSES. RUGBY, December 8. It is now confirmed that one of the two Italian aircraft reported to be damaged in an encounter with fighters over Bura on November 22, was forced to land 60 miles from Bura. One of the crew was killed, and the remaining four were captured. It is recalled that, in these encounters, a Caproni aircraft was shot down in flames, so that, of the three Italian bombers attempting to raid Bura, only one escaped. Various reconnaissances were carried out on all fronts.