BLOW TO ITALY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 166, 13 June 1940, Page 8

BLOW TO ITALY

STRIKING POWER CRIPPLED R.A.F. RAIDS IN MIDDLE EAST .(United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph. Copyright.) LONDON, June 11. The Commander-in-Chief of the U.A.E. in the Middle (Air-Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore) told correspondents that he thought the’lt.A.E. raids had crippled Italy’s air striking power in the Middle East. They had caught the Italians by surprise, probably • ex- 7 plaining the light anti-aircraft fire and the weak opposition s from fighter ’planes. i y

THE MALTA RAIDS. Seven air raid warnings were sounded in Malta lasting all day. Four waves of bombers carried out the first raid, dropping salvo after salvo, but only three bombs fell on land. The. civil population showed no sign of panic and the anti-aircraft guns kept up a terrific barrage during each raid, preventing .dive-bombing. It is believed that two, and possibly four, ’planes were brought down. The damage was very slight. The casualties included women and children. Curfew has been imposed at Malta between 10.30 p.m. and 5 a.m. ITALIANS SUFFER. From Cairo an R.A.F. communique states that ’planes to-day carried out bombing attacks against concentrations of enemy bombers, petrol depots, and bomb dumps located on Italian military aerodromes in East Libya and Italian East Africa. The aerodromes attacked in East Libya were the principal Italian air bases threatening Egypt and the Western Desert. ’Planes were destroyed on the ground and tires started, petrol dumps being set ablaze. Our aircraft met with fire from ground batteries and Italian fighters unsuccessfully attempted interception. We attacked aircraft and hangars in Italian East Africa, and several direct hits were obtained on aerodromes near Asmara. These were the main Italian bases threatening our Red Sea communications and the Sudan. Three of, our ’planes are missing. A second 11.A.F. communique states that British ’planes have made additional attacks to those mentioned, and bombed troop concentrations and more petrol dumps. The Swiss Telegraphic Agency reports that the Italians have attacked Tunis and Corsica: At Djibouti bridges were destroyed on the border of French Somaliland and Abyssinia. \