PATROL ACTIVITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 137, 12 May 1941, Page 7

PATROL ACTIVITY

TOBRUK AND SOLLUM. MORE PRISONERS TAKEN. (United Press Association—Copyright) (British. Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11 a.m.) RUGBY, May 11. A Middle East war , communique from Cairo states that in the Tobruk and Solium areas our patrols have again been active. Casualties have been inflicted on the enemy and a number of prisoners taken. On Friday night and Saturday the R.A.F., defying an electrical storm, swooped down on Derna, doing considerable damage to enemy aircraft on the ground. Other airfields were attacked and further- damage done. SHIPS SHELLED AT BENGHAZI. A British Official Wireless message says that an Admiralty communique states: “During the early hours of Thursday morning our naval forces carried out an attack on the harbour at Benghazi, and hits were observed on enemy shipping. Two enemy supply ships were intercepted while approaching the harbour and were destroyed. One was of 3000 tons and the other was an ammunition ship of between 5000 and 6000 tons. It was blown to bits.” Another Admiralty communique states: “During operations in the western Mediterranean German and Italian aircraft made repeated attacks on our naval forces. These attacks continued throughout the afternoon and evening of Thursday. No damage was sustained by any of our ships.” The communique on the. enemy air attack continues: “As each attack developed it was intercepted and broken up by naval fighters and subsequently driven off by them and by the antiaircraft guns of the squadron. One of our fighters is missing and another was lost, but the crew was saved. “The enemy attacks were made by torpedo-bomber aircraft, by high-level bombers escorted by fighters, and by dive-bombers escorted by fighters. In one ease a formation of 25 dive-bomb-ers escorted by Messerchmitt 110’s was intercepted and brilliantly broken up and driven off by the naval lighters before the attack could materialise.

“The following losses were inflicted upon the enemy: Three torpedo-bomb-ers and one 579 were destroyed by anti-aircraft (ire of the squadron, and two torpedo-bombers were severely damaged. Naval fighters shot down due Junkers 87 and two S79’.s , _ and severely damaged one Junkers 87, one Messerschmitt 110 and one CR42. In addition to these casualties damage is known to have been inflicted on other enemv aircraft.” CANAL ZONE ATTACKED.

A Cairo communique states: “Early yesterday the enemy raided the Suez Canal zone lor the second time in a week. There was slight damage and no casualties. REASON FOR OPTIMISM.

A British Official Wireless message says: Surveying the war in the Middle East, Lord Croft, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary for War. in a speech in Bournemouth, took a line of reasoned optimism.' “You have great reason to be proud of the armies of your Empire which have inflicted 400.000 casualties on their enemies at extremely small loss in comparison, and which stand now veterans ready to meet a greater menace in the Middle East.” he said. COMMAND IN PALESTINE.

General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, one of Britain’s leading military strategists, lias assumed command of tho British forces in Palestine and Transjordan.