MIDDLE EAST

Grey River Argus, 18 July 1941, Page 3

MIDDLE EAST

NO CHANGE R.A.F. Bombs Ships [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, July 16. What must be the shortest Middle East communique from British Headquarters in Cairo states: On all fronts, there is no change in the situations. Information given in an enemy communique which • described a British raid at Tobruk on July 12 as a “determined attempt to break out of Tobruk,” is well supported by an account of the raid reaching authoritative quarters in London. The raid was carried out astride the road from Tobruk to Bir el Gobi, 38 miles south of Tobruk, by a patrol of 40 men and one tank-hunting platoon (a small body of men specialising in methods of dealing with tanks), supported by artillery and machine-gun lire from positions on the perimeter. The object was to inflict casualties and secure identifications. The British inflicted over 500 casualties and also brought back five Italian prisoners, achieving the desired identification. No tanks were encounter ed. The British casualties were 10 wounded and three missing. A Middle East R.A.F. communique states: Early on Wednesday morning, R.A.F. bomber aircraft successfully attacked a convoy of enemy shipping off the Tripolitanian coast. Two heavy bombs struck an 8,000 ton vessel amidships, and completely destroyed it. Another ship was damaged in the bows by a direct hit. Enemy aircraft, which attempted to drop bombs on British merchant vessels off the Libyan coast yesterday, were engaged by R.A.F. fighters. Six Junkers 87’s and one Messerschmitt 109 were shot down. On Monday night our heavy bombers attacked the enemy-occupied aerodromes of Eleusia and Hassani, in Greece, and Heraklion in Crete. At Eleusia, direct hits were made on hangars, runways, and dispersal points, causing a number of large fires and explosions. Similar results were reported at the other two objectives. On the same night, heavy bombers of the R.A.F. carried out a highlysuccessful attack on the docks and other military objectives at Messina. Several tons of high-explosives and incendiary bombs were dropped, and great fires were started at the ferry, railhead, engine-sheds, transformer plant, buildings, and warehouses, and four lines of trucks were set ablaze. The fires were visible 60 miles distant.

A number of enemy aircraft flew over the Suez Canal area on Tuesday night. One came down in the Great Bittier Lake, and another crashed south of Port Said. From the above operations, two of our aircraft arc missing. LONDON, July 14.

General Ronnel’s African army, comprising two German Panzer divisions, three mechanised divisions and thirteen Italian divisions, at present, has insufficient suitable material for a daring inland southward drive against Egypt, which the German High Command planned, says the “Telegraph’s” correspondent in North Africa. The Germans are awaiting more material, which is still slipping across the Mediterranean from Sicily to Tripoli. The losses of enemy supply ships are estimated at 25 per cent, and rising. The Germans are very interested in the construction of a road which the French are pushing on between Columb Bechar and the Niger River. The Germans demand that this route must be usable by September. This seems impossible, but the demand indicates the importance which the Germans attach to tapping effectively West African tungsten oil, rubber and cotton.

The “Daily Express,” quoting a neutral from Marseilles says: Sixtj’ thousand French metropolitan troops have been shipped to Morocco with the object of helping army to meet possible American action against French Africa. The ports of Marseilles, Ville Franche and Port Vendre have been closed for the last two weeks. The entire aviation base at Clermont Ferrand, including planes, repair equipment and mechanics have been shipped to Morocco. CONVOY DESTROYED OFF TRIPOLI. RUGBY, July 14. An R.A.F. Headquarters Middle East communique states: Libya: Bomber aircraft carried out successful attacks on an enemy convoy outside Tripoli yesterdav. A 7000-ton ship was hit, set on fire and destroyed. Huge columns of black smoke rose to a great height from the vessel. One three-masted schooner, apparently carrying oil or munitions, blew up when hit by a bomb. Another 1000-ton vessels was hit, and was seen to be burning steadily. Several large bombs were also dropped on ships inside the harbour. On the nivht of July 11-12 R.A.F. heavy bombers attacked the harbour at Benghazi and the aerodrome at Derna. A JUBB was shot down by one of our fighters off the Libyan coast on July 12. Rhodes: During the night of July 12-13 R.A.F. heavy bombers raided enemy aerodromes on the Island of Rhodes. At Calato. bombs fell on the landing ground and dispersal area, causing explosions and fires. At the Haritza aerodrome buildings and hangars were hit and left burning strongly. A number of heavy explosions were caused. Dispersed aircraft are believed to have been destroyed and (be forest to the east of the' aerodrome was loft burning. Fires and explosions were also caused on the aerodrome at Kattavia. From these operations all our aircraft returned safely.