UNDER HEAVY FIRE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 128, 1 May 1941, Page 7

UNDER HEAVY FIRE

ITALIANS AT SOLLUM. NAVY SHELLS COAST i _ LONDON, April 30. A Cairo communique states that* the tliree enemy columns which crossed the frontier of Libya last Saturday are still held up five miles east of Solium. I The Italians are still being continu ! ally harried by our land and ail forces. The Navy has been keeping a watchful eye on the coast, and recently shelled the desert road. The Brilisli Utlieiul Wireless reports an R.A.F. ALiddlc East communique as saving that the R.A.F. on the night of April 26-29 attacked concentrations of enemy aircraft in Libya. Many j bombs'■burst among dispersed aircralt. I lie planes also raided Benghazi harbour, many explosions occurring. Our fighters continued to harass the enemy by low-level machine-gunning.' Three enemy aircraft have been shot! down by anti-aircraft fire over Tobruk in the past two days. There is no change in the situation at Tobruk. Patrol activities at Solium arc continuing.

Details of the announcement appearing in an R.A.F. Middle East communique relating to the destruction of a number of troop-carrying German planes arc given by the Canadian captain of an R.A.F reconnaissance aircraft which carried out the attack.

“We had completed ‘recko’ and were coining back over Benina when wc were confronted by the sight of what looked like a hundred Junkers 52’s lined up wing tip to wing tip. It was too good to mins but it was not onr job to attack so 1 called up tho crew and asked what they thought about it. “ ‘Let’s wreck ’em,’ they said, so from about two and a-lialf miles up in the air I pointed nose down into a steep dive. It looked as if the enemy planes had just landed, for there were groups of soldiers gathering about on tho landing ground. AVe gave them all we had. One of the aircraft burst into flames immediately and smoke poured from others. The soldiers just closed up like penknives and toppled to tho ground.” ABYSSINIAN TH EATR E. A unit of the Sudan Defence Force captured Socota (Abyssinia) on Sunday, inflicting many casualties. A further 515 prisoners were taken, of j whom 400 colonials immediately volunteered to enter the Emperor’s service. in all other areas the activities of our own troops and patriots continue [to steadily clear the country of isolated detachments. Enemy troop positions and ammunition dumps were attacked in the Uadea area by the S.A.A.F. Alotor transports were dc roved anil heavy casualties caused among white and native troops. Diiect hits were registered on buildings' at Tandelio, and the aerodrome buildings at Sifani were also hit. Ihe Daily Mail's Addis Ababa correspondent says the Italians are now left with only two lull-seme aerodromes—at Jininia and Alomuta—and also half-a-dozen landing grounds or small aerodromes. The wrecks of eighteen planes were found at Komboleha. The Duke of 1-larar, a son of the Emperor Haile Helassie. paid a surprise visit to Jijiga (Eastern Aln s sinia) and was given a. great reception by the townspeople.