MIDDLE EAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 August 1941, Page 8

MIDDLE EAST

BRITISH POLICY PRINCIPLES

’ MR. EDEN’S STATEMENT RUGBY, August 6. During his speech in the Commons, dealing with the Middle Eastern situation, Mr. Eden stated: We have said over and over again that this country has no territorial ambition in this war. We went to war to resist aggression, not to steal prizes or to pilfer loot. Having said that, it follows there can be on our part only one policy towards all those nations who live between the <u'£3s bounded by the Suez Canal and the frontiers of India. For all these countries, we have only one policy. We wish to see them live they? own lite in security and peace, as we claim, our past action has shown. After the war in Iraq, we set up an independent Iraqi State, and withdrew our forces. We should have to look tar before we could find any similar action of this kind by Hitler. When our hostilities with Germany and Italy are over, we shall do our utmost to assist those of the Middle East to enjoy a full independent life. “Meanwhile, forces of men and material are pouring out to strengthen our forces in the Middle East, !.oi their next forward plunge. I suggest to the lands of the Middle East that the blows these forces will strike will be sure blows, struck for thenown independence, as much as they are for ours. That fact carries with it. a corollary. These countries must co-operate with us, to ensure that they do not afford an opportunity to Germany or the Axis to create trouble, disturbances, or upheavals, to further their war effort.’ Mr. Eden referred in this connection to Iran, where the arrival of a large number of German experts and “tourists” constituted a grave danger to the independence of the country. His Majesty’s Government had in all fairness and sincerity given warning of this danger to the Iran Government, which he hoped they would heed. RELATIONS WITH TURKEY. Turning to Turkey, Mr. Eden said that the foundation of our relations with her was the Anglo-Turkish Treaty, which we should continue loyally to observe, whatever the future held. “We believe that friendship with this country can be a lasting contribution to European understanding. Some Members have seen from time to time suggestions maae by enemy propaganda, that we might have agreed to some arrangement or other at the expense of Turkey. There is, of course, not a shadow of truth in any such suggestion. We would, in fact, agree to nothing of the kind, nor in fact has any .suggestion of that kind been made to us by any Power. The post-war world is going to require the collaboration of many States, great and small, and in that world Turkey, modern Turkey created by the genius of Kemal Ataturk, will have a part to play, and in that case Turkey will find her own course and will choose her own collaborators. “There are other countries in the Near East about which I must speak in very-different terms. Bulgaria took the opportunity presented by the wanton attack by Germany on Greece and Jugoslavia, to seize under the Axis cloak large areas of Greek and Jugoslav territory, today, no doubt, she is well pleased with her ill-gotten gains, but she may rest assured, by ourselves or by our allies, that Ihe day of reckoning will come.” —8.0.W.

AERIAL OFFENSIVES

RUGBY, August 6.

An R.A.F. Middle East communique states: R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. bombers made a series of attacks on landinggrounds and other military objectives in Cyrenaica, on the night of August 4. Bombs were seen to fall on the landing-ground at Gazala, while at the Timimi landing-ground explosions occurred. A hit on the mole caused a violent explosion and two fires. South African pilots, flying Maryland bombers, also operated over Derna, and carried out a series of attacks on motor transport, workshops, and assembly plants. The harbour of Benghazi was again bombed. Fires were seen to break out at the base of Cathedral mole. Off Misurata, our aircraft scored three direct hits on a schooner and sank it.

From these operations all our aircraft returned safely.

GERMAN POST RAIDED

RUGBY, August 6

A British Cairo Headquarters communique states: Continuing their aggressive activities outside Tobruk, our raiding parties yesterday seized a German post and, despite enemy counter-attacks, inflicted heavy casualties, and brought back prisoners. SUEZ CANAL RAIDED. LONDON, August 6. An Egyptian communique reports that 90 were killed and 109 injured m a raid on the Suez Canal 6rea last night. ENEMY LOSS AT MALTA. RUGBY, August 6. Press reports from Malta state that on Tuesday night, enemy aircraft crossed the coast and dropped bombs. There was no civilian damage and no casualties. British night fighters shot down three of the raiders, which crashed into the sea, two being shot down by one fighter pilot.—B.O.W. ABYSSINIAN AERIAL REVIEW.

RUGBY, August 5, .Details of the activities of the Empire and Allied forces in the Abyssinian campaign show that Free French forces co-operated with squadrons of the South African and Rhodesian Air Force, as well as with the Royal Air Force in widespread operations which culminated successfully in the freeing of the territory from the Italian yoke. Among me diverse aircraft used —they ranged from Hartbeeste to Hurricanes—were several German-built machines—Junkers 86’s flown by the South African Air Force. In all, the Allied strength varied between 160 and 190 aircraft. The enemy strength, it is believed, never exceeded 220 at one time, of which 140 were bombers and 70 fighters. It is calculated that up to July 17 some 306 enemy aircraft were destroved at the cost of 144 to the Allies. Six squadrons of Allied bombers to that date had raided 121 different target areas in more than 650 separate attncks Ingenious camouflage by the Italians was a feature of the campaign, but the Allied reconnaissance aircraft seem readily to have spotted the attempted deception, which included the creation of artificial dust storms by running airscrews of unserviceable aircraft placed on die edges of aerodromes. The Allied operations* were carried out from Aden, the Sudan, and Kenya, and gradually attained intensity until in August,' 1940, the threepronged attack by the Royal Air Force, the Rhodesian Air Force, and the South African Air Force covered points from Massawa to Kismayu and from Mogadisho to Gondar. In September, 1940, in the Gondar region, a successful raid destroyed a large ammunition dump, ana there were other successes. With the invasion of Abyssinia, the air forces operated in close co-operation wiJi the troops, and from February, 1941,

onwards were more directly c°ncei tied with support of the ground fo l^ 3 - In March and April, Swordfish aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm joined the Royal Air Force in an attack on five destroyers in the Red Sea, and when the general offensive was accelerated towards the end of April, hombm o sorties increased, as many as zza oeing made against enemy concentiations in a single week. After the Duke of Aosta s sun ender in May, the campaign gradually diminished, and by \ June 17, the operations mainly consisted ot Harassing the remnants -of . the Italian forces in central Abyssinia.