HAIFA BOMBED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23718, 26 July 1940, Page 8

HAIFA BOMBED

46 CIVILIANS KILLED RAID BY ITALIANS CAMPAIGN IN AFRICA' By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 25, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 25 It is officially stated that ten Italian bombers swept up from the. south-east and dropped 80 or 100 bombs on the eastern part of Haifa, the oil port on the Coast of Paleatine, killing 46 civilians and wounding 88. Most of the bombs fell in the sea. Heavy anti-aircraft fire drove off the raiders. A Cairo communique says South African bombers, attacking an Italian military formation near Kenya border, damaged lorries and machine-guns. Others raiding Abyssinia scored hits on Diralawa aerodrome and surrounding buildings, seriously damaging a hangar. A Sunderland flying-boat attacked an enemy convoy, comprising three merchant ships; three tankers and one dostroyer, seriously damaging two of the merchant vessels. Enemy Losses A Cairo communique says further enemy losses of lorries and guns were caused near Capuzzo, in Libya, yesterday. Motoriscd detachments of the Somaliland Camel Corps , continued active patrols in Somaliland. Many Italian frontier posts have now been successfully raided, and identifications and information obtained. The Royal Air Force successfully bombed Tobruk harbour, Libya, on Monday night, causing four explosions by direct hits on the submarine jetty, at which some submarines were moored. Aerodromes Attacked The Royal Air Forco also attacked El Gubbi and El Aden aerodromes. One British aeroplane is missing. A low bombing attack considerably damaged Umnhagar aerodrome, in Italian East Africa. An enemy fighter crashed when trying to intercept British bombers during another raid in Massawa area, Eritrea. All tho aeroplanes returned from this raid. An Italian communique says an air formation bombed oil depots at the naval base in Malta, in spite of violent reaction from British aircraft batteries. Large fires occurred. Two British Gloucester fighter aeroplanes were shot down in aerial combat in North Africa. An Italian broadcast said their of war include a commander and a lieutenant. ATTACKS ON MALTA MILITARY DAMAGE SLIGHT CIVILIAN LOSSES DIMINISH LONDON, July 24 There have been 80 air raids on Malta since Italy's entry into the war. The damage to military objectives is small. Twelve Italian aeroplanes have been brought down and nine severely damaged, while the Royal Air Force has lost one aeroplane. The British official wireless states that most of the attacks have been by day. At the beginning of the war, civilian casualties were comparatively heavy, but, with a growing knowledge of the need to take cover, they have markedly diminished. Damage has certainly been done to Malta by . Italian bombs, but it is authoritatively stated that the damage to military objectives is slight. , ITALIAN CLAIM AUSTRALIAN DESTROYER NO CONFIRMATION RECEIVED MELBOURNE, July 24 The Minister of the Navy, Mr. A. G. Cameron, said that the Australian Naval Board had received no confirmation of an Italian claim that an Australian destroyer had been sunk. A Rome communique earlier reported that Italian submarines sank an Australian destroyer and a British submarine in the eastern Mediterranean. AIR RAIDS ON ROME ITALIAN STATEMENT (Received July 25, 7.40 p.m.) ROME, July 25 The official nows agency says two persons were killed and four wounded in last night's air raids over Rome. SELASSIE IN AFRICA LONDON, July 24 Asked in the House of Commons whether he was able to make a statement about the situation in Abyssinia and the position of Haile Selassie, Mr. R. A. Butler, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said tho Emperor of Abyssinia had returned to Africa. As regards tho situation in Ethiopia, it would be premature to make any statement at the present tiino.