ITALIAN AIR RAIDS

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1940, Page 6

ITALIAN AIR RAIDS

1 Aden, Malta and Sudan RUGBY, September 8. A Cairo official communique states; On Saturday evening, enemy aircraft raided Port Sudan, causing little damage and only one casualty. There is nothing to report from the other fronts. ROME, September 8. A communique states; Italian air formations bombed vessels anchored at Aden. A later communique states: Another formation bombed Aden, ana shot down an enemy lighter. ATTACKS ON MALTA. ROME, September <B. A communique states: “Two airraids on Malta were carried out on September 5. The first, which was in the nature of a reconnaissance, was entirely successful, because the British fighters preferred to withdraw from the combat. Italian escort lighters damaged two British machines. The second air raid occurred in the afternoon. Dive bombers arrived unexpectedly and partially destroyed Fort Delimara and set on fire an oil dump. Neither "the anti-aircraft guns nor the British lighters went into action. A later communique states: Bombers and fighters attacked the arsenals at Malta causing! great destruction and fires. They also hit a submarine in the fitting-out basin. Two British planes were shot down, and probably a third. All ours returned. Some members of the crews were wounded. Sunday Raid on Malta SOME DAMAGE DONE. (Received September 9, 8.30 p.m.) MALTA, September 8. It is officially stated that a strong formation of Italian planes raided Malta at noon to-day. A number of bombs were dropped, which slightly damaged naval property, and also demolished a' few houses. One enemy plane was shot down. Another was probably destroyed. BRITISH CONVOY ATTACKED. ROME, September 8. A communique states: Air formations attacked an enemy convoy in the Red Sea and seriously damaged two ships. They also bombed other vessels anchored at Aden. The Italian aeroplanes returned home in spite of attacks from the enemy fighters, one of which was shot down. A later communique stated: The untiring Italian aviation again overtook the convoy which was so effectivley bombed on September 3. and seriously damaged a cargo vessel. Another, which, perhaps, was hit on September 3, was seen beached on its side.

Italian Claims 1 BRITISH VESSELS SUNK. ROME, September 8. A communique states: An Italian submarine sank a British naval patrol-ship, in the approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar. A later communique states: ■ “A submarine sank a*n enemy oil tanker in the Red Sea. Our Air Force .overtook an enemy convoy under escort. Three cruisers, two steamers and one other were damaged. Ail our aeroplanes returned.” HAIFA AND SUEZ BOMBED. A later Italian communique states; “Our aeroplanes bombed petrol dumps in the centre of Haifa. Large fires were seen. Our aeroplanes also bombed oil dumps at Suez and surprised motorised units on the road near Solium (in Egypt). All the Italian aeroplanes returned safely. Italian planes also intensely bombed the railway between Alexandria and Mersa Matruh and shot down two attacking enemy aeroplanes and probablj' three more. All our aeroplanes returned. Another Italian formation successfully bombed two troop encampments in the neighbourhood of Achir. in the Upper Sudan. BRITISH AIR ATTACKS. ROME, September 8. A communique stated: The enemy again bombed Assab, in Eritrea, re-, suiting in four being killed and eight wounded among the colonial troops. * British' planes bombed and ma-chine-gunned Buna. in Kenya, wounding a native.

THE MEDITERRANEAN. RUGBY, September 7. In an appreciation of the importance of recent British operations in the Mediterranean the “Manchester Guardian’s” naval correspondent points out: “An important inference is to be drawn from substantial reinforcements which have been sent to the Mediterranean. The fact that units of such strength can be spared from the North Sea must indicate we have no fear of seaborne invasion plans on the part of Herr Hitler. The Prime Minister’s statement regarding “a continuous stream of convoys of

reinforcements to the Middle East, this correspondent thinks, should erase the impression that Britain is unable to move .any traffic through the Mediterranean. He points out that the British Fleet operated freely for six days throughout two thousand miles between Gibraltar and Alexandria, and took offensive action against short bases without serious challenge.” ITALY AND GREECE The recent statement of General Wavell indicates that an “Axis” offensive in the Near East is by th P British very soon; and it is suggested that Germany may her energy in this dierction if Hitler fails in his next intensive drive against Britain, or decides to postpone or abandon it. I do not think myself, that h t > will do so. for he cannot fail to realise that, whatever else lip may achieve, he cannot hope for victory while fhp British problem remains unsolved. Italy, however, nas her own Mediterranean plans, which she is at present pursuing by a “nerve war” against Greece, it was rumoured that a iwenty-lou. -houi ultimatum had been delivered at Athens demanding denunciation ot the British guarantee, though this was unconfirmed. Greece made resolute gestures of resistance, mobilising half a million troops- on her frontier; her Dictator-Premier, Metaxas, declares that she “will defend her freedom at any price,” and that th e support of her Turkish ally is “certain.’ The Turkish ally is more reserved, and maintains an attitude of watchful waiting. The Italians are said to have frightened the Greeks into a “more frigid attitude” towards Britain: but Metaxas has. been in conference with the Brit'sh Ambassador, and British and Italian warships are moving about near each other in th? region of Crete. Bulgaria is mofp disposed to make trouble for Greece than to help her. Greece has no mechanised army or air_ fore? worth mentioning; but the Albanian frontier is a difficult terrain for motorised troops, and the most , obvious path pf advance for the Italians lies through Jugoslav territory by Monastic For the rest, much depends on how far Hitler will back Mussolini, who is believed by Duranty to be bluffing. Duranty is shrewd —he foresaw th e German-Soviet pact. —but I have a feeling that Greece wil' “defend her freedom” by bending before the blast and handing over Corfu and {Janina —Ttnl.ess Italy is determined to fight her, anyhow.