SMASHING BLOWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23861, 11 January 1941, Page 9

SMASHING BLOWS

AIR FORCE AT WORK ITALIAN AERODROMES rOKTS ALSO ATTACKED British Wireless LONDON, Jan. 9 The delivery of further smashingblows yesterday against the Italian Air Force in Libya is revealed in a communique. (jazala, Martuba, Timimi and Benina were all heavily attacked. In addition, Benghazi and Tobruk were raided. At Martuba British aircraft carried out low-flying attacks on 11 S/9's and several CR42'S on the ground. Jwo S79's were set on fire, others were badly damaged, and some were seen to have been already damaged. Two 579 s on the ground at Gazala also were attacked, one being severely damaged. Others were seen to bo already unserviceable. *' At Benina about TOO enemy aircraft on the ground were heavily bombed. Several were destroyed and others were badly damaged. Seven s at the Timimi landing ground were seen to be burned out. A particularly heavy raid was made on Benghazi, during which four or five ships received direct hits arid a number of fires were started in warehouses. Enemv convoys north-west of Jiarabub Oasis were attacked and considerable damage caused. On the nights of Monday and I tiesday, and also on Wednesday, Massawa, the Red Sea port of Eritrea, was raided and' the power station and submarine base attacked, A number of high explosive' bombs fell on the submarine base, starting a fire. From all these operations all the British aircraft- returned safely.

POSTS CAPTURED

SUDAN AND ABYSSINIA LONDON, Tan. » A Cairo communique says that as a rpsult of British patrol activity on the Sudan frontier, an enemy post northeast of Kassala has been evacuated and occupied by British troops. In Abyssinia, patriots, encouraged by Boyal Air Force support, compelled the Italians to evacuate a post at Gubha. The Abyssinians are now closing round the. fleeing Italian garrison. There i« nothing of importance to report in Kenya. GIFT FROM AMERICA XF.W YORK, Jan. <> The British War Relief Society has donated 20,000 dollars to the Anzac Mar Relief Fund as a "slight token in recognition and appreciation of the gallantry of the Australians in Egypt and J'ibya." The money is to provide comforts for the Australian troop,?. COSTLY RAID ON MALTA (Received January 10, 0.30 p.m.) MALTA, Jan. 10 Royal Air Force fighters without loss shot down four Italian aeroplanes during a raid on Malta yesterday. A fifth was brought down by anti-aircraft guns.