Italians Raided

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 47, 26 February 1936, Page 5

Italians Raided

Penetration of Line In Aclowa Area

412 KILLED IN BRIEF

FIGHT

United Press Association— -By Electric Telegraph.—^Copyright.

LONDON, Feb. 24. ' An Addis Ababa message claims that a large force of Ras Imru’s Gojjam raiders penetrated the Adowa-Aksum line, killed 412 white Italian soldiers, and destroyed fifteen munition dumps and two depots, each containing 30 tanks. This achievement is hailed as an effective answer to the Italian story that the whole of Gojjam Province is in revolt against the Emperor. Ras Imru’s raid is the first Abyssinian penetration of the Adowa-Adigrat-Aksum line. A Gojjami officer said that the Italians fought bravely for a few minutes and then turned tail, many taking refuge in tanks which the Abyssinians charged with swords, daggers, scimitars, and lances. Some of the Italians were surprised at Mass, and the priest and the sacrament were spared. 4 The Italian lines of communication between Adowa and Eritrea will be the nest objective of two Abyssinian columns. According to a note from Rome referring to Ras Imru s claim, the spokesman declares that the Addis Ababa war news is no longer worth denying. Cargo of War Materials. A Berbera message states that GUO tons of war material by tho steamer Santa Maria, formerly the Wendy, were transported by lorries to tho southern Abyssinian border to enable Ras Desta to contend against General Graziani's mechanised units. It includes 30 anti-tank and six automatic guns, 10,000 Mauser and 1200 automatic rifles, 15,000,000 cartridges, 500 gas masks, 1000 incendiary bombs, and also machinery and tools. Two million of the cartridges are British-made, and the remainder are a shipment from Stettin.

It is reported from Borne that Signor Mussolini is providing this year 1500 high-speed fighting aeroplanes and bombing aeroplanes with a speed of 250 miles an hour and a ceiling of 30,000 feet. The fighters will carry live machine-guns apiece, capable of firing in any direction. Aircraft factories are working day and night. Bed Cross ’Plane Crashes Owing to failure to gain height, due to the rarefied atmosphere, Captain Haytcr, wdio was flying to Jijiga to bring back the body of an Egyptian, Dr. Sawy, a victim of dysentery, crashed. The aeroplane toox firo and was destroyed, and Captain Haytcr was slightly injured in the thigh and tho head. Tho Abyssinian co-pilot, Haile Giorghis, was seriously injured. The aeroplano was a gift by tho League of Nations Union to the Bed Cross as a result of a £3OOO public subscription. It had mado two previous flights, in which difficulty was experienced in gaining height. Reducing War Bill MUSSOLINI GRANTS LEAVE TO SOLDIERS. LONDON, February 24. A Borne correspondent reasserts, that despite denials, Mussolini has granted leave to half a million soldiers of 1911-13 classes serving in Italy itself, in addition to three month’s extra furlough for those assisting agriculture, as a means of saving £BOOO daily on the war bills. Well informed quarters predict this is a prelude to the full discharge from service based on the confident belief that the international situation will steadily improve.