AIR SUPREMACY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23700, 5 July 1940, Page 8

AIR SUPREMACY

ITALIANS ROUTED AFRICAN CAMPAIGN ENEMY BASES ATTACKED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July ■!, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 3 Unofficial reports from Cairo state that the Royal Air Force destroyed at least 60 Italian aeroplanes to June .'io, and another 25 are believed to have been destroyed since. The Royal Air Forco losses have been very small. A war yomnmnique says the Camel Corps inflicted casualties on Italian regulars ou the Soinaliland frontier, at Bosantino, on Juno 30. The only British loss was one Somali soldier killed.

A Royal Air Force communique issued at Cairo says that British aircraft carried out an operation against the Macaea aerodrome, which was heavily bombed and machine-gunned. A bomb dump was directly hit and a fierce blaze followed a heavy explosion. Subsequently, two potrol dumps wore sot on fire. Two enemy fighters were shot down 2nd a machine on tlie ground was destroyed. All the . British machines returned.

British Posts Bombed Sidi Bnrraiii and .Morsa Matruh were again bombed on July 1, but, there were no casualties, says a British official wireless message. The damage Was negligible. Royal Air Force bombers operating, from tho Sudan attacked an Italian military concentration at Metemma with satisfactory results. Fires were started in the native troop quarters, and machine-gun and artillery posts were severely damaged. The British aeroplanes encountered heavy machine-gun fire, but all returned safely. .Aircraft of ,the Rhodesian Squadron of the Royal Air Force carried out a raid yesterday afternoon on a military concentration in the Moyale area, scoring several direct hits and causing considerable damage. Gun Positions Hit An official communique issued at Nairobi states: "Although there has been no resumption of ground activity "in the Moyale area, our aircraft carried out very successfully heavy attacks on the enemy defences yesterday, scoring direct hits on more gun positions, bombing machine-gun posts, and machine-gunning reinforcements, which were sheltering in a ravine. An ammunition dump was blown up. It is now revealed that the Italians fired 350 shells into the British positions at Moyale before launching their first abortive attack on Monday." Malta was heavily raided by tho enemy this morning. One raider was shot down in flames.

Italian Claims An Italian communique to-day claims that strong British forces, attacking at Metemma, were put to flight by ji vigorous counter-attack and left behind 60 dead.and a number of machine-guns. The facts are that 'a force amounting to about a company, with some Abyssinian irregulars, attacked an Italian force of about a battalion. .British casualties were one killed . and ten wounded. No machine-guns' wqre lost. The Italian losses were about three times this number, including three Italian officers. . .The Rome communique" states that a subsequent air raid did no damage. Anti-aircraft guns, shot down two British aeroplanes. Italian aircraft, it is claimed, again successfully bombed air and naval bases at Aden. INDIA'S FUTURE LINKED WITH. BRITAIN, BOMBAY, July 3 The deputy-leader of the Congress party in the Central Assembly, in a speech' at Madras, declared that whatever the differences between Britain and India there would be no future for India if the. Axis Powers won. Britain should seek co-operation with the majority party by forming a National Government , in India. BRITISH AMAZONS LOCAL DEFENCE CORPS LONDON, July 3 Under the leadership of Mrs. Venetia Foster, wife of a naval officer, women are forming their own local defence service, entitled the Amazons' Defence Corps. The main object is the training of women to use rifles.