LATE MESSAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 December 1940, Page 8

LATE MESSAGES

R.A.F. ATTACKS. RUGBY, December 8. Enemy shipping off the southern Albanian coast was attacked by R.A.F. bombers on Saturday. A direct hit .was registered on the stern of one ship, and other bombs fell very close. A further raid was made on Valona, but the weather conditions were bad. Heavy fighter opposition was met, but the attack was pressed home. All the bombs fell in the target area, but it was impossible to observe the full extent of the damage. " One Italian fighter was shot down.

COMPARATIVE LOSSES / LONDON, December 8. The plane losses since the outbreak of war have been as follow: British 1,717; German 5,161; Italian 385; Greek 12. The balance-sheet of the Italian and British air war to date shows that while the Royal Air Force lost nd machines on the two occasions on which Italian raiders. visited Britain, the Italians lost 13 out of 25 on November .11, and seven out of 20 on November ”23, apart from others known to have been severely damaged and probably lost. Over Africa and Albania Italy has lost at least 308 aeroplanes since entering the war. British losses are 49 over Africa and six over Albania. The figures do not include the Fleet Air , Arm successes and losses.

“Forty cigarettes a day?” said the tobacconist to one of those inquisitive reporters. “Well that’s nothing to make a song about. Why, I know a chap that smokes fifty, and another chap, an old customer of mine, who smokes seventy. Of course he couldn’t do it and get away with it if he smoked ordinary cigarettes, but this bloke smokes Riverhead Gold —• and rolls his own. Yes, Riverhead Gold is one of the five toasted blends and Desert Gold is another. These are the champion cigarette tobaccos. You smoke a pipe but you use Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog) and that’s toasted so you know what toasting can do. The other toasted blends, Cavendish and Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead) are for the pipe too.” “Don’t know a thing about cigarettes,” said the reporter, “but if the two cigarette blends you mention are as high-grade as my favourite Navy Cut No. 3 I reckon they’re the goods.” “Sure thing,” said the tobacconist, “the five toasted blends are the pick of the basket if you ask me.” —Advt.