AIR ACTIVITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23770, 25 September 1940, Page 9

AIR ACTIVITY

FREQUENT RAIDS AFRICAN CAMPAIGN WIDESPREAD OPERATIONS (Received September 24, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 23 A communique issued at Cairo states: "The Italians bombed Alexandria, Sidi Haneish and Mersa Matruh. Negligible damage was caused and there were only two casualties." ' A Royal Air Force communique states: "A raid on Benghazi resulted in a direct hit on a ship and a fire iu warehouses alongside the mole. "We raided -Menastir aerodrome' and also scored direct hits on lorries in fc motor transport concentration at Sicli Barrani. "The enemy raided Malta, damaging 10 village houses, and also twice attacked Aden without causing damage. "We attacked the East African aerodromes of Maiadaga and Gura. South African- Attack "The South African Air Force successfully raided El Katulo and Dimo. "An enemy raid on Isiolo inflicted no military or police casualties, but killed and wounded a few natives and civilians."

Tlie first enemy air attack on Cyprus is recorded in a communique from British headquarters at Cyprus, which states: "Hostile aeroplanes, Hying at a great height, raided a town in the Morahou Bay area on Sunday morning. The attack lasted from 11.20 a.m. to 12.2 p.m. Bombs were dropped in the sea, and later, "a part of the town was machine-gunned. There were no casualties and no material damage. An air raid alarm sounded at Nicosia from 11.25 a.m. to 12.5 p.m." A Nairobi communique states:— "South African Air Force squadrons successfully attacked Birikau, in Italian Somaliland, for the second time in a week. Direct hits were obtained on the camp, and fires were started. Other South African aircraft carried out normal reconnaissances. From these operations all of our aircraft returned safely." Rome's Lavish Claims A Homo communique states: "It has been ascertained that a British cruiser, torpedoed on September 19, subsequently sank. Photographs of tho Italian bombardment of Haifa oil September 21 show important results, and indicate that extensive fires broke out. ' We again bombed an air base at Mikabba, Malta, causing a great fire. "The enemy renewed the bombardment of Benghazi, damaging private houses. We rebombed Mersa Matruh with positive results, and also nightraided harbour works at Aden. "It has been learned that we hit three ships in a British'convoy on September 21. The British bombed Gura, Kassala and Asmara. Two natives were killed and two wounded. British submarines sank an empty Italian merchantman in the Southern Pyreean Sea." PETROL SHORTAGE POSITION IN LONDON FURTHER PRICE INCREASE (Received September 24, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON". Sept. 23 The price of petrol has been increased by Id to 2s OJd a gallon, compared with Is 5d last September. Motorists in some parts of London are finding it difficult to obtain their petrol rations. The garages explain that they are unable to get normal supplies, partly because lorry drivers refuse to work during raids. Garages in the outlying districts are sometimes without petrol for days. The petroleum department, in a statement, said the lack of supplies was also due to tho bombing oi: garages.