SUPPLIES FOR EGYPT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24011, 8 July 1941, Page 8

SUPPLIES FOR EGYPT

SHIP A DAY FROM AMERICA TANKS, BOMBERS, GUNS LONDON, .Tuly O Tho flow of munitions to Egypt under the Lease or Lend Act is reported to have reached almost one ship a day, states a Washington message quoting tho correspondent of the Associated Press of America. Officials say that between 20 and 25' ships a mouth aro being despatched either on tho Atlantic or Pacific routes to tho Red Sea. Cargoes include fast new tanks, which are being turned out in the United States at a rate of over 10 a day. Bombors and pursuit aeroplanes, guns and munitions are also being sent to Egypt in an accelerating stream,

American mechanics are arriving in Egypt to supervise the assembly of aeroplanes which with tanks, guns and other munitions are part of the large shipments.

NO CHANGE AT TOBRUK MOPPING-UP IN ABYSSINIA ITALIAN GENERALS SURRENDER LONDON, July <1 In Libya, says a Cairo communique, there is no change in the situation at Tobruk, while in the frontier area British artillery has again been active. In Cyrenaica and Tripolitania Royal Air Force activity continues. Benghazi and Tripoli have been heavily bombed again On Friday British bombers carried out a successful 'attack on a convoy of enemy motor transport laden with troops on the coast road near Sirte. Many cf the lorries were demolished by bombs and others were destroyed by machinegun fire. Enemy troops were observed abandoning moving lorries, and, in the confusion caused by the attack, several vehicles collided and overturned. Heavy casualties were inflicted on enemy troops by the rear-gunners of our aircraft. A Cairo communique reports that in Abyssinia in company with General Gazzero nine other Italian generals have surrendered, including General Simone. who commanded the Italian forces which took British Somaliland last August:

Although the number of enemy aeroplanes destroyed in the Middle East during the week was smaller than it has been recently—39 destroyed—the British losses were more proportionately light. Only six British aeroplanes failed to return.

* ITALIANS ROUTED EIGHT PLANES DESTROYED LONDON, July 6 In a raid on Malta eight Italian machines were shot down. No British fighters were lost.

34 AIR VICTORIES SOUTH AFRICAN PILOT EXAMPLE OF MAJOR MANNOCK LONDON, July 6 A ' South African, Wing-Commander A. G. Mai an, D.5.0., D.F.C., is reported to be the Royal Air Force's most successful fighter pilot with 34 certain victories.

The mantle of Major Edward Mannock, V.C., one of the greatest British air fighters of the last war, has descended in more ways than one upon Wing-Commander Malan, the 30-year-old South African fighter pilot. He commands No. 74 (Fighter) Squadron, descendant of the squadron led by Mannock in the last war, and like Mannock. he holds top score for British pilots. Formerly a sailor; Wing-Commander Malan has won rapid promotion. He was a junior officer at the outbreak of war, but last year, when his score stood at 20 German aeroplanes, he was already a squadron-leader, and has since been promoted again. His squadron includes a numbor of New Zealand pilots. Wing-Commander Malan keeps as a trophy a machine-gun taken from the wreckage of one of his earliest victims. Fighter pilots of the present war have a long way to go before they equal the numbers of aircraft brought down by noted pilots of the last war. Several British pilots shot down over 150 enemy aeroplanes each before Novernbor, 1918, and similar scores were held by some of Germany's aces.

CHECKING PROFITEERS CIVILIAN "TIN HATS" LONDON, Juno 30 Made from steel costing did, a line of civilian tin helmets, with only the protective value of a bowler hat, rose steadily in price to a retail cost of 17s 6d each in London. This is one of the price scandals revealed by the President of the Board of Trado, Mr. Oliver Lyttelton. These "semi-military tin hats" are manufactured privately. The steel, costing 4Jd» is cut to an oval shape, sending up the cost 150 per cent. Another company added a penny for cartage, threepence for taking delivery, and 6§d, presumably, for profit-making. A third company, after performing undefined functions, resold the unfinished articles for 5s Hid. In addition, the lining, buckle and chin strap sent up the cost to 10s lOd. TJio hats were then sold retail at 17s 6d. Mr. Lyttelton pointed out that the protective value of these helmets was only comparable to that of a bowler hat, and said they dented eaaily on impact.