AFRICAN CAMPAIGN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 263, 4 October 1940, Page 7

AFRICAN CAMPAIGN.

NAZI INFLUENCE SEEN

TROOP CONCENTRATIONS

REPORTED.

LONDON, Oct. 2,

There is no confirmation of reports of German troop movements to Northern Africa across Italy, but they may well be true. Even if the Italians are in nominal charge of the North African operations, there is little doubt that their German masters, distrusting Fascist military prowess, are issuing commands to Mussolini and also taking de facto charge of the operations. It is authoritatively stated in London that Italian troops .are concentrated at points in the region of the Sudan frontier. The most important concentration is at Kassala. The Italians on the Kenya front are still in the neighbourhood of Buna. Enemy patrols are active there, also in the neighbourhood of Lake Rudolf. The Daily Telegraph’s Cairo correspondent says that Britain’s repulse of the German air attack has caused a striking change in Egyptian views on the war. Whereas previously the Egyptians asked, “Will England be able to withstand Germany’s great air attack?” they now ask, “Can Germany withstand tlie British onslaught?” Opinion is growing in favour of an Egyptian declaration of war against Italy.

lY.ttle ACTIVE FIGHTING

There is very little active warfare in Africa at the moment. According to reports reaching London, the Italians in the Western Desert are consolidating their positions, which stretch from Sicii Barrani southward across the coastal plain. In this area they are building strong defensive camps which will undoubtedly be used as advance bases if they continue their attacks toward Egypt proper. The Italian forces have been showing some activity at a point on the Libyan frontier about 150 miles south of Solium. There is a road from this point to an oasis about 60- .miles inside Egyptian territory from which it might be 'possible for a small force to make its way to Mersa Matruh or even Alexandria. The going is bad., and the maintenance of a mechanised force would be difficult, if not impossible. The Italians yesterday made their 32nd attempt to bomb Aden, and, as usual, there was no damage. Only one plane kept on through the anti-aircraft fire, but; none of the raiders got near the town, '['hey were forced to flv very high and their bombs went far astray. One of them was sent down in a smoking dive "ly a British fighter. With the 32 attempts the Italians have made, they have got over the town only 10 times. No target of importance has been damaged. Jn Malta much less raiding has been made in the past fortnight. A corres oondent says that the morale of the Maltese people is untouched.