HEAVY ITALIAN LOSSES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 216, 10 August 1940, Page 7

HEAVY ITALIAN LOSSES

BRITISH AIR SUCCESSES GREAT BATTLE IN MIDDLE EAST (United Press Association —By Electric TelegraphCopyright.) Received August 10, 9.10 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 9. The Admiralty announces that a Walrus plane of the Fleet Air Arm, operating from His Majesty’s Australian cruiser Hobart, on Thursday dive-bombed the Italian military headquarters which were recently established at Zeila, in British Somaliland. It ' damaged the headquarters and also machine-gunned military targets, damaging lorries and staff cars, and causing casualties among the Italian military personnel. The Walrus machine returned undamaged to its ship. Italian planes the same day bombed our warships in the Gulf of Aden, flying high and causing no damage. No casualties resulted. An R.A.E. communique issued in Cairo says: “Fifteen Italian planes were destroyed over Sidi Omar (on the LibyaEgyptian border) in the biggest Middle East air battle -since the outbreak of war. Two of ours have not returned, ihe Italians outnumbered the British Gladiators by two to one. “One hundred and thirty-five Italian planes have been definitely shot down since June 10, and 65 others are believed to,have been destroyed.’’

R.A.E. SUPERIORITY. The battle in which the formation of British Gladiators shot down fifteen Italian aircraft took place some distance west 'of Sidi Omar. The communique announcing this success at the cost of two British planes missing continues: “Berbera (the chief town of British Somaliland) was raided yesterday by three crows and later by a small formation of enemy bombers. It is reported that one of the bombers was damaged by ground defence fire. There were no British casualties. “Our bombers on Wednesday attacked Hargeisa (100 miles inland), and hits were registered on barracks and bungalows believed to contain troops The frontier post at Elwak was raided !>v bombers of the South African Air Force.” COMPLETE SURVEY. Today’s Cairo communique states: “In the Western Desert Mersa Matruh was raided by one enemy aircraft, causing no damage or casualties. All the areas in this theatre are very quiet. “In the Sudan on Wednesday slight damage was done by enemy aircraft at Gebeit. A few civilians were slightly injured. “In Somaliland enemy columns from Hargeisa and Dacweina are reported to be advancing northwards. Patrols along the coast between Berbera and Zeila report the situation to be normal. There were two entirely ineffective air raids on Berbera. “There is nothing to report in Palostine and Kenya.” ITALIAN CLAIMS.

A Rome communique states that the Italian forces in Somaliland took Hargeisa (British Somaliland). Italy scored the most important air battle against the British since Italy entered the war over the Egyptian-Cyrenaican frontier. Sixteen Italian pursuit planes, fighting 27 British chasers, sent five. British machines down. Two Italian planes are missing.