NORTH AFRICA

Grey River Argus, 28 July 1941, Page 3

NORTH AFRICA

TOBRUK DEFENDERS Patrol Successes [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.J (Rec. 7.0.) LONDON, July 26. British General Headquarters at Cairo, in a communique stated: In Libya on Thursday night our patrols from Tobruk were again active. One patrol, supported by mortar fire, inflicted considerable casualties on the enemy. The enemy demonstrated general uneasiness by putting down a heavy barrage with artillery mortars and machine-guns on two occasions, each for two hours for no apparent reason. The other fronts are all quiet. R.A.F. RAIDS ON ITALIAN PORTS. RUGBY, July 26. The Middle East R.A.F. Headquarters reports: Heavy bombers of the R.A.F. carried out another raid on Benghazi on Thursday night. Fires! were started at the base of the Cathedral Mole, and a ship moored west of the mole was hit. All our aircraft returned safelv. (8.0.W.) RUGBY, July 25. A British Headquarters Cairo communique states: “During the night of July 23-24, a number of lighting patrols from Tobruk penetrated enemy ”iositions. One of these patrols advanced to a depth of over three miles and engaged an enemy strongpoint with hand grenades, inflicting | a number of casualties before it withdrew. Our artillery successfully covered the operations of these patrols throughout the night. “In the frontier area, our mechanised patrols again drove back enemy elements from points of observation. “’There is no change in Abyssinia and Syria.” An R.A.F. Middle East communique states: On July 23, Bomber aircraft carried out a successful attack on enemy shipping a’ Trapani. One merchant vessel wmeh was hit by a high explosive and incendiary bombs, became enveloped m flames and smoke, and another of three thousand tons, which received two direct hits, is believed to have sunk. The formation then raided an enemy aerodrome between Trapani and Marsala, and destroyed three S. 79s on the ground, and damaged several others.

On July 23, an E-boat, which approached one of our convoys in ms Mediterranean was attacked by R.A.F. lighters, and left sinking and yesterday our fighters also attacked and destroyed two J.U. 87’s in the same area. Heavy bombers attain carried out an attack on the harbour at Benghazi on the night of July 23-24. The attack caused a number of explosions on and around the quays, and considerable fires followed. Two of our aircraft are missing from all these operations. NEW DESERT TANK. LONDON, July 26. The new type of British tank which has been topeuafitng successfully in the Middle East has been named the “Crusader” by Lord Beaverbrook. A Roval Armoured Corps general said that the tank travelled at express speed, had a wide range, and was heavily armoured. It carried twopounder guns, several machine-guns and mortars capable of high-angle lire. PLANE LOSSES IN SYRIA LONDON, July 27. Australian aeroplane losses in the Syrian campaign were twenty-two aircraft in the air, and one on the ground. The Vichy Air Force numbered 113 first liner planes, plus 60 obsolescent planes. The allies destroyed 81, 40 of them being on the ground.