AFRICAN CAMPAIGNS

Grey River Argus, 27 July 1940, Page 7

AFRICAN CAMPAIGNS

DEFENCE OF EGYPT Italians Concentrating BRITISH PLAN OUTLINED. [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, July 25. It is authoritatively stated that the British Commander-in-Chief’s policy in Egypt is one of active detenc* Th e collapse of France greatly changed the situation in Libya. Numerous well-equipped Italian armies. no longer threatened on two fronts, are able to concentrate wholly on the Egyptian border, where only lack of water and communications prevent large concentrations. Water supplies are sufficient to maintain only a very small garrison at Solium. The real military frontier is as far back as Mersamatruh. Likewise Bardia is the Italians’ advanced headquarters, and Tobruk is their natural supply base. Frontier fighting must, therefore, be with relatively small forces. Barbed-wire mark s the political frontier of Liby.-. and Egypt. The Italians erected ‘■ rfence, together with covering form, several years ago. The British have cut the fence, and captured various forts. All the fighting has been conducted in Italian territory. Fort Capuzzo is serving a very useful purpose for the British, because it requires frequent relief convoys, which are necessarily vulnerable,’and suffer losses Our defensive policy, wisest fiom the military viewpoint, also confirms Egypt’s present political neutrality.

Eastern Sectors

ENEMY IN KENYA

MANDERA OCCUPIED

LONDON, July 25.

It is authoritatively stated that the fighting zone in Kenya is very difficult to operate in. Britain has few posts along the frontier, lightly held. It is not expected that tiwy could be defended against attack from the Abyssinian plateau Conditions in Abyssinia hava compelled th e Italians to maintain large forces to keep order. These have enabled temporary enemy occupation of the north-eastern corner of Kenya, namely, the Mandera triangle, running between Abyssinia and Italian Somaliland. There were no British troops or police at Mandera. Therefore, the Italians’ claim i<> have achieved a brilliant action is hardly well-founded.

The British have taken the initiative further north-westwards from Lake Rudolf. Native troops raid-eci deep into enemy country, and considerably damaged such military objectives as exist-.

Fighting in Kenya is likely to remain of a skirmishing nature. A Nairobi communique states: Our planes yesterday reconnoitred the El Wak area,' bombed a small concentration of troops, and destroyed one motor vehicle.

The War Office announces that Gold Coast and Nigerian troops arrived in East Africa som e days ago.

R.A.F. RAIDS IN LIBYA.

CAIRO, July 25. A communique states: The R.A.F. yesterday successfully bomoea o large ammunition dump south of Bardia. Several direct hits were scored, causing blue flashes. Part of th e dump was completely blown away. Gladiators, covering tne bombers, met a large formation of fighters, and definitely shot down four. Another was unlikely to reacn its base. All our bombers returned One fighter is missing, a direct hit was scored on a hangar during a ■raid on Macaca. Two other hangars were severely damaged. A fight uttween a Sunderland flying-boat and an Italian fighter ended with tn-_-Italian diving, out of control. All our machines returned safely frorfi the raid on Macaca. Another official' communique states: A patrol of five Gladiators, escorting Blenheim 1 bombers, engaged and shot down five out of seven en«my fighters into th e sea, off Libya. Blenheims raided Derna, .and Grouped bombs in the middle of 50 enem, fighters and bombers on the grounct. There were no British losses. The Gladiator fighter, reported missing, has been found- The pilot is sate The aircraft was compelled to make a forced landing on our side of the line. This means that, in the engagement in which six of our figmers met 18 enemy fighters, We succeeded in shooting down four enenr. aircraft, with a possible fifth, without the loss of a man or a machine. ITALIANS LOSE SUBMARINE. ROME, July 25. An official communique states: An Italian submarine has bsen lost There ar e no details ITALIAN CLAIM. CRUISER “GLOUCESTER” DAMAGED. ROME, July 25. The radio announced that considerable damage was caused to the cruiser Gloucester, in the engagement near Crete, on July 19- I* le alleged casualties included the commander and nine officers. ITALIANS BOMB HAIFA. RUGBY, July 25 A Cairo communique states: Enemy aircraft raided Haifa early yesterday morning. Several thousand tons of kerosene and lubricating on were set on fire, but the fire was got under control, and prevented from spreading, by the early morning. Th e civlian casualties total about 100. Ther e were no military casualties. Ten Italian bombers swept down from th e south-east and dropped between 80 and 100 bombs. The situation in Palestine is quieter than for years.