BENGHAZI SUFFERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 October 1941, Page 5

BENGHAZI SUFFERS

SUBJECTED TO THREE RAIDS BRITISH BOMBERS ACTIVE BAIIDIA ALSO VISITED |'.Rec., 11.30 a.m.) Rugby, Oct., 22. • j Heavy bomber aircraft of the R.A.F. ! bombed the harbour at Benghazi dulling Monday night. Explosions were seen on the base of the Juliana mole and on a railway siding. Naval airI craft raided enemy dumps on a wadi ' near Bardia. Fires resulted from the I attack. ; Yesterday bomber aircraft of the I South African Air Force made two j raids on Benghazi. Bombs were dropI ped on the west side of Juliana point j and on the mole. Full results of the attack could not be observed owing to bad visibility. A Mcsserschmitt fighter ; which attacked one of our aircraft i! over the Mediterreanean was driven i off by machine-gun fire and was last :: seen a few feet above the water with ; its engine on tire. , | Enemy positions in the Azozo region | in Abyssinia were effectively raided by our aircraft on 20th and 21st October. , From these and other operations all • on. aircraft returned safely.—B.O.W. italiatTreport \V.WELL’S MILLION MEN • | (.Rec., 9 a.m.) London, Oct., 22. j The Milan “Popolo d'ltalia" says that j General Wavell at present has 500,000 ! men, including New Zealanders, Canadians, South Africans and Australians, ! at his disposal for the defence of the I Caucasus oil. This army will be ! strengthened by 500,000 Indians by the end of this year.—U.P.A. SURPRISE BOMBARDMENT ENEMY GUN POSITIONS EAST OF TOBRUK WARSHIPS GO INTO ACTION 'Rec.. 11.45 a.m.) Rugby, Oct., 22. A correspondent with the British Fleet in the western Mediterranean ' describes how enemy coastal gun positions cast of Tobruk had a surprise on Tuesday night when warships flung broadsides on to the Libyan escarpment during a fifteen minute midnight bombardment. At the appointed hour naval aircraft started dropping flares to the eastward and the leading ship opened broadsides followed by the remainder in rotation. Although aircraft continued to drop flares for half an hour there were no 'signs of enemy anti-aircraft fire.— 8.0. W. FURTHER SUCCESSFUL ACTION BRITISH SUBMARINES IN MEDITERRANEAN HEAVILY ESCORTED CONVOY ATTACKED Rugby, Oct. 22. An Admiralty communique reports a further successful action against enemy supply lines in the Mediterranean. A heavily escort- ' ed convoy has been attacked by one submarine, two supply ships being hit by torpedoes and one of them is known to have been sunk. Another submarine bomI barded an aerodrome at Appolonia in Cyrenaioa in the face of gunfire from the shore defences and secured several hits on hangars and other buildings. —B.O. W. no oppositioiTencountered BRITISH PATROLS AT TOBRUK CONSIDERABLE ENEMY AIR ACTIVITY i A Middle East war communique j states: “At Tobruk throughout yes-j | terday there was considerable hostile, 1 air activity from which however we j (sustained only two casualties. Enemy' : artillery in the eastern sector mainI tained intermittent but ineffective) l tire throughout the. day whereas I our counter battery shelling was observed to cause an explosion in the target area. Our patrols again covered a wide front without confronting any enemy patrols or working parties in their forward areas. “Tn the frontier area two German patrols driving camels in front of them to try and discover the location i of our minefields were engaged with fife and driven off."-- 8.0. W.