MANY AIR RAIDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 168, 15 June 1940, Page 7

MANY AIR RAIDS

ITALIAN FORT BOMBED. HOSTILITIES IN AFRICA. (United Prees Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received June 15, 10.30 a.m. LONDON, June 14. The R.A.F. have bombed and extensively damaged the Italian fort of Capruzza, near the Egyp-tian-Libyan border, destroying two defence fortifications. They also raided Assab, in Eritrea, destroying four ’planes and damaging buildings, lorries and other materials. All returned safely. An R.A.F. communique issued in Cairo states that Malta experienced constant raids b.y a single aircraft. Buildings were damaged, two British soldiers killed and one wounded. The Italians also raided two small Sudanese towns with little 'damage. British fighters drove off Italian bombers which thrice raided Aden on Wednesday and shot down a bomber. An air raid in Malta to-day damaged the centra and residential section of Valetta. A communique issued in Pretoria states: “Our ’planes yesterday bombed the Kismayo area, which is the southern tip of ■ Italian Somaliland across the Kenya frontier. Direct hits were scored. A South African mobile field force is serving with the British in East Africa. ALEXANDRIA RAIDED. - Alexandria reports that the city’s second raid raid occurred in the afternoon. The population took shelter. Rcrbera (British Somaliland) was raided from the air this afternoon. There was slight damage. A reconnaissance party, of British light tanks carried out the first action on the Egyptian-Libyan border .in which 62 Italians were taken prisoner. Thh tanks charged an Italian wire wall marking the frontier, and completely surprised the outpost. The Italian Minister (Signor hlazzolini) and his staff have left Cairo for Italy via Palestine and Syria. The Rumanian and Swiss Legation is attending to Italian interests. BLOWS AT ITALIAN AFRICA. R.A.F. headquarters in Cairo announce that activity by the R.A.F. was continued throughout yesterday (states the British Official Wireless). Various reconnaissance flights were successfully undertaken and valuable information obtained. During one of these flights over Eastern Libya bombing ’planes dropped a number of bombs on Capruzza and extensive damage was done to twoidefence posts. In Italian East Africa Assab was raided bv Blenheim bombers and direct hits were obtained on machines which were seen to be afire. There was some slight Italian retaliation yesterday. Aden had three raids, but on each occasion British fighters went up and drove the Italian machines away. A three-engined Italian bomber was shot down in flames in the sea. Two of the crew were rescued and taken prisoner. Another unidentified enemy machine was so badly damaged that it is unlikely it returned to its base.