R.A.F. IN MIDDLE EAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 January 1941, Page 7

R.A.F. IN MIDDLE EAST

BENGHAZI AGAIN BOMBED OTHER AREAS HARD HIT [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, January 16. A Middle East R.A.F. communique states: Benghazi was raided by R.A.F. bombers on the nights of January 13 and 14. The main mole and the harbour were heavily bombed. Large fires were caused among buildings around the Customs houses. A heavy explosion occurred at the base of the mole. Other bombs hit buildings on the quayside, and straddled the Government buildings. Shipping was.also attacked; On the return journey, the Benia aerodrome was machine-gunned. Two enemy aircraft were set on fire and destroyed, and a number of others were damaged. In the forward area between Tobruk and Derna, our fighters maintained a constant patrol, but no engagement took place. A photographic reconnaissance over Catania shows that the raid carried out on the night of January 12 was more effective than was at first thought. Between 30 and 40 aircraft were seen to be either burnt out or severely damaged. One hangar on the west side of the aerodrome was com- I pletely wrecked. Another was very, badly damaged, and a third was seen 1 to have been hit. The administrative buildings were heavily damaged, andi many bomb craters were observed on ’ the aerodrome itself. ! In Italian East Africa, Assab was raided during the night of January 14, 1 attacks being made on stores and warehouses. All the bombs burst in the target area, a very large fire being started, which v/qs visible for. 35 miles, j Asmara was raided on the previous I night, with considerable success. From all these operations, our aircraft returned safely, with the exception of one fighter, which was shot down in Libya. ITALIAN ADMISSION. (Recd. Jan. 17, 11.50 a.m.). LONDON, January 16. An Italian communique admits that damage was caused by the British raid at Catania, and states that some civilians were killed or wounded. REMARKABLE SUCCESSES RUGBY, January 16. In his speech at Glasgow, referring to the R.A.F. successes against the Italian Air Force, Sir A. Sinclair said that, on the Albanian front, they had destroyed in combat 5$ machines, without counting those destroyed on the ground in bombing attacks. The R.A.F. had lost 19 machines. In Malta, the British defences met and broke the Italian air attack, and destroyed 42 Italian aircraft at the cost of 25. In Libya, success had been even more remarkable. At a loss of only 17 aircraft, the R.A.F. had destroyed 90 Italian aircraft, and some 115 on the ground since the beginning of the battle. Although enormously outnumbered to start with, the R.A.F. had won so great a moral victory over the Italian Air Force as to reduce them in the later stages of the battle almost to inactivity.

TROOPS EAGER TO ATTACK. ITALIAN AIR FORCE CRIPPLED. (Recd. January 17, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, January 16. The heavy sandstorms have abated, enabling the British troops to continue the big job of moving,up equipment round Tobruk, with redoubled energy. The British forces have taken up their positions for the attack, and are asking how long the present calm is going to continue. The British artillery four miles from Tobruk is shelling the defences, but the withering fire which preceded the battle at Bardia has not yet started, the Italians having at least one big naval gun, which the British aim to quieten. British armoured units hold the region 15 miles westward of Tobruk. The R.A.F. bombing has forced the Italians to abandon every air base eastward of Akdar, excepting Derna. This includes the big seaplane base at Bomba, and no fewer than 87 disabled planes were counted at El Adem. The total number of Italian planes abandoned on Libyan airfields, together, with 500 lost in combat, would seriously dent any air force. Some of the planes found at El Adem are easily repairable, but the British thus far have not used any against the Italians. Often <a small but vital part was removed by the Italians. One thousand prisoners are still camped in the desert, awaiting transportation. Several hundred cheerfully volunteered to work for their captors. The Associated Press Libya correspondent says: Valuable documents and maps captured at Bardia have provided much information about the internal affairs of Italy and Albania, and about the Italian formations in Libya. Correspondence disclosed considerable friction and jealousy between high members of the Italian staff. . Three United States observers'are watching operations in the desert. One is daily flying with the R.A.F. SANDSTORM ENDING LONDON, January 1« The heavy sandstorm which has been raging for the last week in Libya has now abated, making it easier for British forces to bring up the equipment that is needed before the final attack is launched on Tobruk. Patrols penetrate the Italian positions night after night to obtain information and prisoners. A pilot who flew a hundred miles to the west of Tobruk saw no sign of Italian troops The technical brilliance of the British pilots is demonstarted by their miraculous landings in a thick pall of swirling yellow dust completely obscuring the ground.

NO CHANGE. RUGBY, January 16. A Cairo communique states: No change in the situation. On all fronts, active patrolling continues. N.Z. TRANSPORT TRIUMPH (Reed. January 17, 1.25 p.m.) LONDON, January 16. The organisation of British trans.port in the Libyan campaign is one of the greatest achievements of the past four weeks. The “Colonial Carrying C 0.,” the troops’ name for the .New Zealand transport and drivers, has

played a great part in carrying battalion after battalion first from near Alexandria to Bardia, then from Bardia to Tobruk. The whole operation occupied a week.

ABYSSINIAN REVOLT. ITALIAN PLIGHT REPORTS. LONDON, January 15. The correspondent of the “Daily Mail” on the Abyssinian frontier says that Haile Selassie’s 44 war drums to-night began thumping a call to arms from the mountains fringing Abyssinia. Italian and Ethiopian Legionaries for several nights have been listening to a mysterious message from the drums floating across the hills and forests of Africa and penetrating the rocky hide-outs of Abyssinian patriots. The correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” also says that three Abyssinian leaders are co-ordinating their activities, in a reasoned plan of warfare, and are being fed by supplies from the Sudan and the Italian army. Abyssinian warriors recently captured 150 rifles when they stormed an Italian post. Even before they abandoned Guba the Italians were in a terrible plight. They had no huts. The only shelter obtainable from the burning sun was from huge rocks, under which they lived and took cover. Most needed medical attention, but their doctor had gone made. The garrison’s 25 officers were mainly occupied in shamming sick so that they could leave by aeroplane. When the Italians decided to retire they jumped from the frying-pan into the fire, for the Abyssinians closed in on the rearguard, killing eight and wounding many. Food convoys sent to relieve the Italians were also ambushed. The Italians are reported to have abandoned Guba because the commander was convinced that if he remained the entire personnel would desert. & .The British Broadcasting Corporation’s representative in the Middle East (Mr. Richard Dimbleby) said that the Italians were holding the main roads, but between the established Italian military posts strange things were happening. Dumps were set on fire, and parties of tribesmen were moving across the country. There was a growing organisation in Abyssinia which was likely . to be heard of more frequently in the future.