FORCE WIPED OUT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20631, 12 August 1941, Page 5

FORCE WIPED OUT

ITALIAN ATTACKERS ASSAULT ON TOBRUK HEAVY R.A.F. BOMBING (Elec. Tel Copyright—United Pres 3 Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 11.30 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 11 “During Saturday night Italian troops delivered an attack against one of our posts on the outer perimeter defence of Tobruk. The attackers were allowed to approach to within 300yds., when they were killed almost to a man by heavy defensive fire from our artillery and machine-guns,” states a communique issued by General Headquarters, Cairo. ‘ln the frontier areas yesterday, our patrols successfully engaged patrols of hostile armoured fighting vehicles, which were subsequently forced fo withdraw by the accuracy of our artillery fire.” A communique issued by the Royal Air Force Headquarters in the Middle East states: “On Saturday night Blenheims attacked the gun repair shops at Bardia, starting a number of large, bright fires. The enemy landinggrounds at Gazala were also bombed and machine-gunned. Yesterday, Maryland bombers of the South African Air Force carried out attacks on enemy positions, motor vehicles and personnel in the neighbourhood of Bardia; . “On Saturday Royal Air Force bombers demolished barracks and blockhouses south of Misurata, and also attacked enemy motor transport vehicles and petrol trailers in tiie same neighbourhood. All the trailers were holed by machine-gun bullets and several lorries were overturned and destroyed. The formation then attacked two large ammunition supply dumps, which were scattered and the personnel standing by were killed or wounded.

“Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm made a torpedo attack on a large merchantman at Syracuse on Saturday. A quantity of bombs was also dropped at Augusta, one making a direct hit on a gasometer. From these operations all our aircraft returned safely.”