AEGEAN PORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23969, 20 May 1941, Page 7

AEGEAN PORTS

FLEET OF SHIPPING AXIS PREPARATIONS SITUATION IN SYJiIA BBITISH STILL BOMBING (Heed. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 10 While the British Fleet and Air Force, operating from Alexandria, , Crete and Cyprus, can prevent, the Italians and Germans from landing large forces in Syria, the Germans are accumulating a respectable fleet of transports in Aegean ports by bringing Axis. Bulgarian and Rumanian ships through the Bosphorus from the Black Sea, says the Jerusalem correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Precise information about what is happening in Syria and Irak is difficult to obtain, but it is confirmed that German operational staffs have taken over three Syrian aerodromes, which, it is expected, will soon be used as bases for operations against the British forces in Irak, Egypt, Palestine and elsewhere. Feeble French Forces British air attacks continue against German aeroplanes on the Syrian aerodromes. Many German machines have J been destroyed, and the runways have | been smashed. .Most of the British colonv in Syria have now crossed the border into Palestine. A Free French officer who was in Syria recently stated emphatically that, nine-tenths of the military and civil populations desired an Allied victory, and the Germanophiles were limited to only a small clique of higher officers. The French army in Syria- totalled between 45.000 and 50,000, said the officer, and comprised mostly colonial troops. Their equipment had deteriorated since the armistice through neglect. and much of it was now unserviceable. Refinery Out oi Action There were about -iOO aeroplanes, of which onlv 30 per cent were thought airworthy, while petrol supplies were short Oil is flowing once more through the pipeline front Mosul to the Syrian port of Tripoli, but recenUy a mysterious explosion put out of action the refinery at Tripoli, which is the largest in the country. Incidentally, the Irakis, while permitting the flow of oil to Tripoli, cut off supplies' by the pipeline to the British port of Haifa Several Turkish newspapers declare that Britain must occupy Syria at once. One says Britain should have done so long ago. The Ankara correspondent of the Times says that Turkey is taking the Middle Fast crisis calmly. It is thought the British ma\ well come out of this much better than the Germans. The British have an army on lite spot, and have experience in handling Arabs. The Germans can send troops to Irak only by air, and must, rely upon a general Arab revolt. The Turks will be surprised if the Germans find the mass of the Arabs willing to serve them. The Egyptian Cabinet sat all day on Saturday to discuss events the gravity of which is evident, says an independent French agency message from Cairo.

WIDE OPERATIONS

ALLIED AIR FORCES MIDDLE EAST THEATRE ENEMY MACHINES DESTROYED (Reed, fi.fi p.m.) LONDON, May 19 The widening area of operations in and around the Mediterranean is shown, says a British official wireless ! message, by the description in a Royal Air Force Middle East com-' munique of many operations by aircraft of the Imperial and Allied forces, in which 21 enemy aircraft were destroyed for the loss of three. The communique states that on Friday night British heavy bombers attacked Benghazi, where considerable damage was done and a number of fires continued to burn long after the aircraft left the target. Derna and Gazala were also raided. At Oerna. explosions, one of which was particularly violent, took place among buildings south of the harbour. Fires were caused on the aerodrome and landing ground at Gazala, which was bombed and machine-gunned. British fighters maintained constant patrols, during one of which two Messerschmitts wore shot down near Solium. Road Traffic Stopped A large motor transport supply column on the Tobruk-Bardia road and on the Capuzzo track was successfully machine-gunned. Road traffic was completely stopped. During the attack over 20 vehicles were completely destroyed by fire, and many others were damaged. A petrol dump was blown up. Enemy aircraft raided the Suez Canal area on Saturday night. Two enemy aircraft were destroyed by antiaircraft batteries and another was shot down by fighters. The raiders dropped explosives and incendiaries, killing seven persons and injuring two children. Damage was slight. Attacks in Greece Aerodromes in Greece occupied by the Germans were heavily attacked during Friday night. British bombers i caused a number of fires at Argos and j also at Menidi, where a violent explosion occurred at the north end of the j aerodrome. Four aircraft on the ground j were destroyed at Malaoi, where direct hits were obtained on the runway and hangars, and incendiaries fell among dispersed aircraft, causing considerable damage. These bombing attacks were followed at dawn by attacks by British fighters, which machine-gunned the aerodromes at TTassani, Argos and Malaoi. At Hassaui 'JO Junkers 52's were seen to be hit, and a number of Messerschmitt lOfl's were also attacked. At Argos similar attacks were carried out against enemy aircraft on the aerodrome. Two of them were set on fire and others damaged, Air Fight Over Crete Eight enemy aircraft have been destroyed over Crete. When enemy aircraft attempted a machine-gun attack on one of the British aerodromes at Crete British fighters intercepted them and destroyed three Messerschmitt lo9's, and damaged others. Anti-aircraft tire shot down four enemy aircraft, and also damaged others. One British aircraft returning from a reconnaissance joined in the tight and accounted for one .)tinkers 52 and severely damaged another.